By Sohaib Shams
Scientists have detected signals at the smallest scale of nature ever explored – 100 billion times smaller than an atom – a realm nicknamed the zeptoverse. The research, led by scientists based in Cambridge, used the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) on the Swiss-French border. The findings could help develop a more complete theory of how the universe works and aid the search for dark matter.
Knocking on the door of the zeptoverse
In the experiment, particles were smashed together at high energy and researchers studied the resulting sub-atomic debris, including a short-lived beauty quark. They observed interactions at a scale of a billion-trillionth of a metre. Dr Harry Cliff of Cambridge University, who led the data analysis, said the results provide a ringside seat to the behaviour of possible new particles and that more data is needed to explore further.
UK funding cuts cast doubt on future involvement
The 28 countries involved in the LHCb detector project had agreed a £150 million upgrade to increase decay frequency tenfold. However, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency withdrew its share of the funding last year, alongside cuts to other particle physics and astronomy projects. Prof Tim Gershon, who leads the LHCb international collaboration, warned that the UK risks missing major discoveries and losing the benefits of training early-career researchers. Dr Mary Richardson-Slipper, part of the discovery team, said she is considering jobs abroad due to reduced opportunities.
Scientific community condemns cuts
Prof Brian Cox, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester not involved in the research, described the result as important but condemned the funding withdrawal, saying it would damage the UK's international reputation and future research programme. UKRI responded that it remains CERN's second-largest funder at around £175 million per year and has prioritised investments in clean energy, medical imaging, and cultural heritage.
