Quarks: The Search For the Elementary Particle
The Future
Although quarks are still a theory, and not a fact, physicists once again have a nice, simple view of the world. The six quarks and their anti-quarks, along with the few leptons such as electrons and neutrinos, are the building blocks from which all matter is created. But, twice before scientists have believed they have found the answer, and twice before, they found yet another level to the mysteries of the universe. Would quarks be any different? Already, four quarks other than the original two had been neccessary. Would there be dozens, even hundreds more? What makes up a quark?
Many scientists believe they have reached the end of a search which has lasted for thousands of years. By analyzing the decay patterns of extremely large particles, a statistical probability can be found for the number of particles it is possible to decay into. Such analyses seem to indicate that there ARE only six possible fundamental particles - the six quarks which the theory suggests. And so, perhaps, the search for the elementary particles is over at last.
However, there are many physicists who believe in a sort of 'creationism'. They believe that we found the particles and phenomenon we did BECAUSE we were looking for them. That we, in a way, created quarks from scratch. If this is true, there are an infinite number of possibilities for what makes matter. It is, perhaps, a question we will never know the answer to.
Quarks: The Search For the Elementary Particle
The
Future?