Skip to main content

A milestone in the history of particle physics: Why does matter exist?

tech projects
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider CERN

Antimatter is a strange beast. Physicists believe that for every particle that exists in our universe, there is an antiparticle which is identical but has the opposite charge. But when antimatter meets matter, both particles are annihilated in a flash of energy. This leads to a tricky conundrum: if matter and antimatter were both produced in equal amounts by the Big Bang, why is there so much matter around us today, and so little antimatter?

Recommended Videos

Antimatter does occur naturally in radioactive processes, such as when Potassium-40 decays. In a delightful factoid, CERN researcher Marco Gersabeck writes this means that “your average banana (which contains Potassium) emits a positron every 75 minutes.” But overall, we have observed much, much more matter in the universe than antimatter.

A new experiment from CERN may hold the answer to this decades-long puzzle. Experiments have shown that particles like mesons, which consist of one quark and one anti-quark, can spontaneously turn into anti-mesons, and visa versa — but this process happens more in one direction than the other. Anti-quarks are more likely to turn into quarks than quarks are to turn into anti-quarks, which physicists refer to as a CP violation. Over time, this means more matter accrues in the universe.

These asymmetries, as they are known, have been observed in several types of quarks. In total, there are six types or “flavors” of quark (up, down, top, bottom, strange, and charm) and asymmetries have previously been observed in strange and bottom quarks, both of which are negatively charged. Theoretical work says the only type of positively charged quarks that should show asymmetry are charm quarks — although the effect would be very small and therefore hard to observe.

The new experiment looked at particles called D mesons which are made of charm quarks. Scientists were able to observe asymmetry in D mesons by looking at the particles created in collisions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). They looked at the full dataset from the seven years of LHC operations between 2011 and 2018, and checked for the decays of both D mesons and anti-D mesons. They found tiny but statistically significant differences between the two, providing the first evidence of asymmetry in charm quarks.

It is possible that the asymmetry observed here was not due to the same mechanism as the asymmetry of strange and bottom quarks. But even so, that would still be an exciting finding — because it raises the possibility of other types of matter-antimatter asymmetries.

“The result is a milestone in the history of particle physics,” Eckhard Elsen, CERN Director for Research and Computing, said in a statement. “Ever since the discovery of the D meson more than 40 years ago, particle physicists have suspected that CP violation also occurs in this system, but it was only now, using essentially the full data sample collected by the experiment, that the LHC collaboration has finally been able to observe the effect.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more