LHC’s newest data: a victory for the Standard Model, defeat for new physics [Starts With A Bang]

“There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.” -Lord Kelvin

The particle physics ‘nightmare scenario’ was that the LHC at CERN would achieve its desired energies and collision rates, that it would find a single Higgs boson between about 120 and 140 GeV, and that it would see absolutely nothing else. No new particles, no bizarre decays, nothing that couldn’t be accounted for by the Standard Model. With the latest release, that’s exactly what’s happening.

There’s no evidence at any appreciable significance for any new particles or interactions, and no compelling reason to expect that a larger, higher-energy collider will find anything new. Unless the LHC pulls out a surprise over the coming years, the Standard Model might be it for what high-energy colliders are capable of finding here on Earth.

Come find out what the latest data says about where we are in the hunt for new physics, and remember to be skeptical of claims to the contrary!