On July 24, a large team of researchers convened in Liverpool to unveil a single number related to the behavior of the muon, a subatomic particle that might open a portal to a new physics of our universe.
All eyes were on a computer screen as someone typed in a secret code to release the results.
The first number that popped out was met with exasperation: a lot of concerning gasps, oh-my-God’s and what-did-we-do-wrong’s.
The new measurement matched exactly what the physicists had computed two years prior — now with twice the precision.
“It really all comes down to that single number,” said Hannah Binney, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory who worked on the muon measurement as a graduate student.
Persons:
”, Kevin Pitts, Hannah Binney
Organizations:
Virginia Tech, Fermi, Accelerator Laboratory, Fermilab, Massachusetts Institute, Technology’s, Laboratory
Locations:
Liverpool, Batavia, Ill