Spinons Can Travel Solo. I Never Did.

I read the headline—spinons can travel alone now. I thought about the years I spent in this lab, always told that nothing in science moves forward solo. Every result was supposed to be a team effort, every failure a collective shrug. But when the experiment failed, it was just me, rerunning protocols in the blue glow of the fridge, wondering if I’d ever get to be more than a ripple in someone else’s chain. The data was supposed to matter. Instead, I kept thinking about the cost: the missed calls, the empty fridge at home, the way my advisor’s praise always landed on someone else. I used to believe in breakthroughs. Now I just want to know if it’s possible to exist here without splitting myself in two. Maybe spinons can travel solo. I’m still waiting for proof that I can. #Science #LabBurnout #ScienceFatigue