Colliding particles, to explore the invisible | IGFAE Science Week

This is the main talk of the IGFAE Science Week.

The exploration of deep secrets of Nature, such as the origin of the mechanisms that give substance and mass to the matter we are made of, or the nature of the dark matter filling the cosmos, is the main target of experiments carried out by colliding at the highest energies tiny particles like electrons or protons. These collider experiments exploit the laws of quantum physics to expose phenomena taking place at the shortest distances, revealing the basic laws of physics that control how the universe works and has evolved since the first moments after the big bang, This research is driven by the constant challenge of giving substance to what is otherwise invisible, whether particles or forces. Accelerators are our modern-day microscopes to make the invisible visible...