  In the summer of 1918, Emmy Noether published the theorem that now bears her
name, establishing a profound two-way connection between symmetries and
conservation laws. The influence of this insight is pervasive in physics; it
underlies all of our theories of the fundamental interactions and gives meaning
to conservation laws that elevates them beyond useful empirical rules.
Noether's papers, lectures, and personal interactions with students and
colleagues drove the development of abstract algebra, establishing her in the
pantheon of twentieth-century mathematicians. This essay traces her path from
Erlangen through G\"ottingen to a brief but happy exile at Bryn Mawr College in
Pennsylvania, illustrating the importance of "Noether's Theorem" for the way we
think today. The text draws on a colloquium presented at Fermilab on 15 August
2018.
