Neutrinos May Hold Key to Existence of Universe

Neutrinos may hold the answer to why the universe and human life exist, according to a presentation at the Royal Institution.

These particles are critical to physics because their unique properties, including a tiny mass and the ability to pass through matter, could reveal hidden dimensions or the mechanisms that allowed the universe to exist.

Often called ghost particles, neutrinos are produced in the sun, super-novae, the interior of the Earth, and even bananas. They are nearly impossible to detect because they rarely interact with other matter. Kirsty Duffy said that around 100 billion neutrinos pass through a human thumbnail at any given moment ^[1].

While a thumbnail sees billions, the scale increases across the rest of the anatomy. Trillions of neutrinos pass through the human body every second ^[3]. Despite this abundance, researchers said they still know very little about them.

Some scientists are looking toward the KATRIN experiment to find right-handed neutrinos. This discovery could open a window onto hidden dimensions ^[2]. Other research has tracked high-energy neutrinos across vast distances. One such particle was traced back to the "Shadow Blaster" galaxy, located 11 billion light-years away ^[4].

These particles continue to challenge the standard model of physics. Because they possess such minimal mass, they may be storing that mass in a dimension that is not currently visible to humans ^[2]. By studying these interactions, scientists hope to bridge the gap between the observable universe and the fundamental forces that govern it.