Experiments contradicting the Standard Model are piling up
Some bosons, quarks and muons appear not to be behaving as predicted
THE STANDARD MODEL of particle physics—completed in 1973—is the jewel in the crown of modern physics. It predicts the properties of elementary particles and forces with mind-boggling accuracy. Take the magnetic moment of the electron, for example, a measure of how strongly a particle wobbles in a magnetic field. The Standard Model gives the correct answer to 14 decimal places, the most accurate prediction in science.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “A hint of excitement?”
From the April 16th 2022 edition
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