37 Dimensions, 1 Burned-Out Brain

I spent six months convincing myself that if I could just get photons to behave in 37 dimensions, maybe I’d finally feel like I belonged here. The lab was cold, the fiber optics tangled, and every time the data didn’t match the theory, I started counting the hours I’d lost instead of the progress I’d made. We made something that shouldn’t exist—light in 37 places at once. The paper calls it a breakthrough. My advisor called it elegant. I called it another night I didn’t go home. They say we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg. But all I see is how deep I’m sinking. I don’t know if I care about quantum theory or if I’m just afraid to stop. #LabBurnout #QuantumFatigue #GradSchoolLife #Science