‘Theory of everything’ plan to be renewed

Europe’s particle physics lab Cern has pushed the ignition button on a two-year process to update the European Strategy for Particle Physics.

The strategy shapes the study of the fundamental components of the universe, and is crucial for deciding which research leads should be pursued. It was first initiated in 2005, and last updated in 2013.

“The Standard Model, our theory that best describes the known forces and particles, is unbelievably successful,” the president of Cern’s governing council, Sijbrand de Jong, said in a statement on 11 October. “But there is much evidence that it is not complete. It is a good time to reflect on where we are and where we should go next.”