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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nicola Davis Science correspondent

Scientists may be on brink of discovering fifth force of nature

The muon g-2 ring sits in its detector hall at the Fermilab in Illinois.
The muon g-2 ring sits in its detector hall at the Fermilab in Illinois. Photograph: Ryan Postel/Fermi national accelerator laboratory/Reuters

The tantalising theory that a fifth force of nature could exist has been given a boost thanks to unexpected wobbling by a subatomic particle, physicists have revealed.

According to current understanding, there are four fundamental forces in nature, three of which – the electromagnetic force and the strong and weak nuclear forces – are explained by the standard model of particle physics.

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