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[Zrk2]

Apparently we've broken one of the basic theories of advanced physics.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=supersymmetry-fails-test-forcing-physics-seek-new-idea

If anyone is better at explaining it than me, that would be pretty helpful.

[10ebbor10]

Might be failing. Apparantly we aren't finding certain particles the theory said should exist. (AFAIK supersemmetry means that there's a symetrical order in elementary particles, with every particle having one or more counter particles)

We haven't disproved anything yet, we just aren't finding any proof that should be there.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

THIS IS THE END

[TheBronzePickle]

Of course, in science, no proof is just as bad as disproof.

[Duke 2.0]

Of course, in science, no proof is just as bad as disproof.

But only after several decades of trying!

[TheBronzePickle]

Sometimes, you just want to believe. But unfortunately, we aren't orks.

[kaijyuu]

Of course, in science, no proof is just as bad as disproof.

It's not "no proof", since not finding something that should be there is definitely in the realm of evidence.


I'm no particle physicist so I dunno what this entails, but if it's new theories, that's exciting!

[GlyphGryph]

It's certainly "no proof" of what you were looking for, though. And failing to find expected evidence is evidence for the antithesis.

Anyways, super-symmetry was dumb, I'm glad to see it go. Maybe we can get rid of string theory next.

[Leafsnail]

When it comes to particle physics sometimes dumb theories that go against common sense are right.  Common sense doesn't really apply to uncommon situations.

That said, string theory is pretty out there.

[MonkeyHead]

Supersymmetry has been on its way out of favour for a while, to be fair.

[GlyphGryph]

Being dumb and going against common sense are completely unrelated attributes.

I don't care if my physics "makes sense" in normal terms, I just want it to not be stupid and boring and supersymmetry was both.

[PTTG??]

THIS IS THE END

And the beginning!

Who knows? If we throw supersymmetry, then anything could take its place. The potentials of unknown science far outweigh the loss of a once-useful theory.