Science · 2026-11-03 · Afternoon briefing

Physicists probe the 'zeptoverse' at the smallest scale ever measured

Scientists using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN have detected signals from a realm 100 billion times smaller than an atom. The breakthrough, from an experiment led by a team in Cambridge, has been nicknamed the 'zeptoverse'. Researchers observed an unstable particle interacting with others at a scale of a billion-trillionth of a metre during its 1.5 trillionth-of-a-second lifespan.

Observing this sub-atomic activity could help develop a more complete theory of the universe and potentially provide a method for detecting dark matter. To gather more data, 28 nations agreed to a £150m upgrade of the LHCb detector, which would increase the frequency of these particle decays tenfold.

Yet the UK's future involvement is in doubt. Last year, the UK Research and Innovation agency withdrew its share of funding for the upgrade, despite the discovery being led by scientists in Cambridge. The head of the collaboration warned the UK risks missing major discoveries, and one researcher on the team has said she is now looking for jobs abroad.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

Read the sources

• British scientists use Large Hadron Collider to peer inside the minuscule world of the zeptoverse
• Physicists knock at the door of the zeptoverse
• Physicists Near Zeptoverse After 42-Year Particle Search
• Manchester physicists step closer to the ‘Zeptoverse’ after 42-year particle search
• Physicists find evidence of ‘zeptoverse’ in search for new physics

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