--- title: "Scientists Just Found Evidence for Fifth Force of Nature" description: "Scientists found evidence of subatomic particle \"muon\" not following the laws of physics. Read why this may suggest a fifth force of nature." date: "2021-04-07" modified: "2021-04-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/evidence-fifth-force-nature" categories: - "Physics" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "fermilab" - "muons" - "Standard Model" - "standard model of physics" - "subatomic particles" --- # Scientists Just Found Evidence for Fifth Force of Nature ![Researchers at Fermilab in Illinois have found new evidence suggesting that a subatomic particle called a muon is not following the known laws of physics.]() *\Image: Reider Hahn / Fermilab\* Researchers at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab, in Illinois, have found new evidence suggesting that a subatomic particle called a muon is not following the known laws of physics, as [*The New York Times* reports](). Muons are a lot like electrons but 207 times as massive. They also tend to decay extremely quickly into electrons and super-light particles called neutrinos. Exposed to an intense magnetic field by being sent around a 46-foot magnetized ring at Fermilab, the team found that the muons wobbled in totally unpredictable ways that were not at all expected, astonishing researchers. According to the Standard Model, the fundamental theory of how particles interact established in the second half of the 20th century, these movements can normally be measured and predicted in extreme detail. It's a watershed moment for the field of quantum physics. If confirmed, the results obtained by the experiments at Fermilab could rewrite the way we understand the fundamental laws governing physics — at least as we know them today. "This quantity we measure reflects the interactions of the muon with everything else in the universe," Renee Fatemi, a physicist at the University of Kentucky and manager of the experiment, said in [an official statement](). "But when the theorists calculate the same quantity, using all of the known forces and particles in the Standard Model, we don't get the same answer." "This is strong evidence that the muon is sensitive to something that is not in our best theory," Fatemi added. That leaves the big question: what force of nature is actually causing the muon to wobble? Researchers suggest it may be sources of matter and energy that are yet to be understood and aren't explained by the Standard Model — in other words, a fifth fundamental force of nature that would be added to gravity, electromagnetism, as well as strong and weak interactions between nuclei. The new experiments, laid out in a [series of papers]() submitted to the journal *Physical Review Letters*, confirm previous results found during experiments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory back in 2001. "After the 20 years that have passed since the Brookhaven experiment ended, it is so gratifying to finally be resolving this mystery," Fermilab scientist Chris Polly, who worked on both experiments, said in the statement. There's still the chance that Fermilab's new measurements are wrong: a one in 40,000 chance, to be exact. That means scientists still can't officially claim it as a discovery by physics standards, as the *Times* points out. Polly also said that only less than six percent of the data collected by the Fermilab experiments has been analyzed so far. "Although these first results are telling us that there is an intriguing difference with the Standard Model, we will learn much more in the next couple of years," he said. Still, physicists around the world are thrilled. "Clearly, this is very exciting because it potentially points to a future with new laws of physics, new particles and a new force which we have not seen to date," University of Manchester researcher and UK lead of the experiment Mark Lancaster, [told the *BBC*](). Cambridge University researcher Ben Allanach, who was not involved in the experiments, is hopeful that the results will eventually be verified. "My Spidey sense is tingling and telling me that this is going to be real," he told the British broadcaster. **READ MORE:** [Finding From Particle Research Could Break Known Laws of Physics]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on particle physics:** *[Antarctica Hit By Antimatter Particles, Scientists Say]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()