10 Years after the Higgs, Physicists Are Optimistic for More Discoveries
Scientific AmericanJUL 2022
The Spin
Narrative A
This latest observation is indicative that the LHC has facilitated a period of discovery like the 1950s and its 'particle zoo' that led to the quark model of conventional hadrons of the universe. Scientists are at a turning point in theoretical understanding.
Narrative B
We are certainly in an exciting period in the field of particle physics. But the discovery of new types of quarks doesn't, on its own, shed significantly more light on our understanding of the universe. It's already been 10 years since the LHC unearthed the Higgs boson, and many more exciting investigations are planned, which will be needed to expand the frontiers of understanding.
Metaculus Prediction
There is a 50% chance that the mass of the next fundamental particle to be discovered will be at least 17800 times heavier than a proton according to the Metaculus prediction community.
