Physics breakthrough has implications for all

On Thursday, scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced that they have found direct evidence confirming the existence of the last subatomic particle described in the Standard Model of Particle Physics, according The Associated Press.

The tau is the 12th and last of the particles described in the standard model confirmed in experiments.

In 1997, fifty-four scientists from all over the world have been trying to find the tau neurino at the Fermilab outside of Chicago. Since then, scientists in Japan have discovered that the tau neurino has mass, contrary to earlier beliefs.

The existence of the tau neurino was first theorized by Stanford University physicist and Nobel Prize winner Martin Perl more than two decades ago, but no direct evidence had ever confirmed its existence.

Perl called the discovery a "tremendous milestone."

Philosophers and physicists have long struggled with the the question, "what makes up the world?" The standard model is a theory that seeks to explain what the world is made of and what holds it together.

The discovery of the tau neutrino may seem insignificant to the average person, and according to the AP report, its finding has no immediate practical application. But, scientists suspect the particles may make up a large part of the universe.

While finding the tau neurino will not have direct effect on one's everyday life, it is significant to every person. The finding the tau neurino probably won't get the media coverage that the mapping of the human genome received last month, but it is one that should not be overlooked.

The breakthrough is one that, though its implications will largely be felt in the physics world, should not go unnoticed by the general public. Understanding the makeup of the universe is relevant to everyone, and the discovery of the tau neurino brings us one step closer to understanding.