Particle physics is the study of the fundamental constituents of matter and energy and the interactions between them. It is one of the oldest and most fundamental fields of physics, dating back to the early days of civilization when people first began to ask questions about the nature of the world around them.
The modern era of particle physics began in the early 20th century with the discovery of subatomic particles like electrons and protons. These discoveries led to a better understanding of atoms and molecules, and eventually to a theory of how they are held together: quantum mechanics. In turn, this led to an understanding of how light interacts with matter, which resulted in Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Today, particle physicists are still searching for a deeper understanding of our Universe. They use powerful accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN to collide particles together at high energies, recreating conditions that existed just after the Big Bang. By studying these collisions, physicists hope to find new elementary particles and uncover clues about the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and even extra dimensions beyond our own four-dimensional spacetime.