Lead is an abundant element of the solar system and is particularly abundant on the Earth’s crust (Figure 1). The origin of three of its four stable isotopes (206Pb, 207Pb, and 208Pb) can be partially traced back to the decay of uranium and thorium…
Read moreIt has been more than ten years since the discovery of the first scalar particle at the electroweak scale. This particle was discovered at the LHC in 2012, and it was quickly found to be a scalar that is compatible with the Higgs boson predicted by…
Read moreIn April 2024, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration released their first cosmological results [1]. These results made the news primarily because they showed some hints of dynamical dark energy (see the article in the same…
Read moreDESI has made the largest 3D map of our universe to date. Earth is at the center of this thin slice of the full map. In the magnified section, it is easy to see the underlying structure of matter in our universe. Claire Lamman/DESI…
Read moreIn 2012 the ATLAS and CMS collaborations discovered a new particle that – within the present theoretical and experimental uncertainties – is consistent with the predictions for the Higgs boson of the Standard Model (SM) at a mass of about 125 GeV.…
Read moreWhen astronauts look at the Earth from orbit, they are often awed by its beauty and isolation. They speak of the overview effect; a cognitive shift to a new larger perspective that gives context and meaning to their lives. For physicists, a similar…
Read moreWithin the Standard Model (SM) the basic constituents of matter are the three "families" (two quarks and two leptons) with different quantum numbers, that completely determine the properties of these particles under the three fundamental forces…
Read moreJuly 23rd 2021 was a sad day for the world of theoretical physics, which witnessed the passing of three giants of the field: Steven Weinberg, Toshihide Maskawa and Miguel Virasoro. Weinberg and Maskawa were awarded Nobel Prizes for their…
Read moreThe potential of a post-LHC collider to explore for hints of new physics relies on technological advancements but also on theoretical developments that will allow very accurate background determinations. With a concensus growing for a lepton…
Read moreAt a fundamental level, our Universe is made of particles, forces, interactions, and the fabric of space and time. Spacetime forms the ever-evolving stage on which the play of the cosmos unfolds, while the particles are the players. They can bind…
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