BBC Knowledge Asia Edition 3

TOP: Experiments at the

Large Hadron Collider

are helping scientists

gain a deeper knowledge of

physics

ABOVE: Collisions between

protons at the Large Hadron

Collider are once again being

analysed in the hunt for a

new particle

by the Standard Model! So it could be the first hint of

a better, bigger theory that the Standard Model would

be embedded in. The bigger theory would have a

chance of answering questions that the Standard

Model doesn’t answer, such as what is dark matter,

how does gravity fit into the picture, and why is there

more matter than antimatter in the Universe? Despite

having proved that the Higgs was there, the Standard

Model doesn’t answer those questions so it’s clearly

not any kind of final word on fundamental physics.

If it is confirmed, what would you do next?

The theorists are having a heyday already. They’re

building all kinds of hypotheses to answer some of

the open questions, using this [potential particle] as a

clue. It’s like you’ve filled in a new word in a

crossword puzzle that gets you into a corner of the

puzzle you’ve not been in before. Most of those

hypotheses will say, ‘If my theor y is right, not only do

you see this thing, but if you look over there you can

see another thing’. All of these theories have

consequences for other measurements we can make

at the LHC. As experimentalists, we’ll be weeding out

the ones that don’t work and hopefully zooming in on

ILLUSTRATION: JAMES OLSTEIN the few that do.

BLONDES

Who are you calling a dumb blonde? A study at the

Ohio State University has found that blonde women

have marginally higher average IQs than brunettes or

redheads and are more likely to be classified as

geniuses. But don’t bother reaching for the bleach

• the effect was only seen in natural blondes.

SUN WORSHIPPERS

Here’s an excuse to get away somewhere sunny:

Swedish researchers have found that catching some

rays may help extend your life. However, sunbathing

for long periods can cause skin cancer so don’t stay

out for more than half an hour.

REALITY TV FANS

If you find yourself keeping up with the Kardashians,

you may be a narcissist. University of Pennsylvania

researchers have found that reality TV fans score

more highly on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.

CAT OWNERS

Next time you see someone flipping off another driver,

blame Tiddles. People suffering from intermittent

explosive disorder, a condition that causes aggressive

outbursts such as road rage, are more than twice as

likely to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a

parasite carried by moggies.

BAD MONTH

GOOD MONTH