It’s probably fair to say that C.T.R. Wilson wasn’t too bothered about missing out on the discovery of cosmic rays. Back in September 1894, when he observed the “wonderful optical phenomena shown when the sun shone on the clouds” on Ben Nevis, he had decided to try to recreate the phenomenon in the laboratory. (As I said, physicists are all about control – and who wouldn’t want clouds on demand?) He developed his cloud chamber while working in the Cavendish Laboratory