A strange ‘neutrino force’ helped heal a crack in particle physics

Neutrinos and other particles can produce a subtle force, relevant for precise measurements

A person stands inside a large, gold, cube-shaped particle detector

Neutrinos are so elusive that large detectors are needed to spot them. ProtoDUNE (pictured) is a prototype for a future, much larger neutrino detector, DUNE. Now, physicists have found that an even more subtle effect, a neutrino force, could be affecting the results of experiments with cesium atoms.

Maximilien Brice, CERN

A weird force that skirts traditional physics norms has helped erase a smudge on the foundations of particle physics.