Since the discovery of the proton and the electron in the 20th century, a mystery persists at the core of the atom: Despite belonging to completely different particle families and being radically different in size, the charges of these two particles completely balance each other out — enabling a universe where gravity dominates. But why?
To explore the clues, Live Science sat down with Frank Close, an author and emeritus professor of particle physics at Oxford University, to discuss his new book "Charge" (Oxford University Press, 2024). In it, Close traces out the conundrum through a concise history of particle physics, including the strong, weak and electromagnetic forces that operate over short distances, the discovery of the Higgs boson, and the hints of a yet-to-be-discovered grand unified theory.
