The fifth force of nature

Unexpected behaviour of subatomic particle could change our understanding of the universe

Inside the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator in Meyrin, Switzerland
Inside the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator in Meyrin, Switzerland
(Image credit: Ronald Patrick/Getty Images)

A tiny subatomic particle appears to be disobeying the laws of physics in a way that scientists say could change our fundamental understanding of how the universe works.

The “particle celebre” is the muon, like an electron but far heavier, and “is an integral element of the cosmos” reports The New York Times.

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 Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.