{"id":111331,"date":"2023-08-20T13:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T17:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=111331"},"modified":"2023-08-23T15:24:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T19:24:23","slug":"what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the Standard Model of physics? How close is it to a unified theory<\/a>? What’s it missing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scientists have yet to figure out the unifying theory\u2014what theoretical physicist Michio Kaku calls \u201cthe God Equation.\u201d But, physicists have made a great deal of progress using an intermediate step toward that theory. They refer to it as the Standard Model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to understand the Standard Model, what it tells us about the universe, and what it doesn’t explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Standard Model of Physics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll go over the basis of the Standard Model as well as its theoretical problems, including cumbersome mathematics, a mismatch between the theory and the observable universe, and its current inability to account for the force of gravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is the Standard Model of physics? Beginning in the 1970s, physicists stitched together the equations for the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and electromagnetism to produce what\u2019s now called the Standard Model. This mathematical expression of those fundamental forces presumes that, in the extreme conditions that existed moments after the Big Bang, all of the forces acted as one and diverged only<\/strong><\/strong> as the universe cooled.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Astrophysics for People in a Hurry<\/em><\/a>, Neil deGrasse Tyson goes into more detail about the universe\u2019s first moments and their importance to a unified theory of physics. Tyson explains that at the instant of the universe\u2019s inception<\/a>, the domains of relativity and quantum mechanics overlapped. If scientists can determine how matter, energy, time, and space behaved during the first nanoseconds of existence, they could potentially resolve the discrepancies between relativity and the Standard Model. This research is being done at the Large Hadron Collider<\/a> in Switzerland, which smashes particles together at extremely high energies in an attempt to replicate the conditions that existed in the universe\u2019s first moments.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Standard Model is woefully incomplete. One issue that Kaku is quick to point out is that the Standard Model is an unsightly mess\u2014a chimeric creation of theories stitched together in a way that isn\u2019t completely plausible and contains mathematical terms that aren\u2019t greatly understood. On the plus side, the equations for the Standard Model are symmetrical<\/strong>. But, Kaku says that, in this case, that\u2019s a problem. The universe around us isn\u2019t <\/em>symmetrical\u2014matter is clumped into stars and galaxies with vast expanses of empty space between them. If the Standard Model were true, the universe would instead be a perfectly uniform sea of particles. Obviously, something is amiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Standard Model to produce the asymmetrical universe of today, something must have shattered the initial symmetry shortly after the Big Bang occurred. Researchers proposed an undiscovered \u201cHiggs boson\u201d consistent with the Standard Model that unbalanced the cooling universe\u2019s symmetry and led to the variety of particles known today. Sometimes called the \u201cGod particle,\u201d the Higgs boson created regions of space within which other particles began to have mass.<\/strong> Kaku writes that, because of this imbalance, the original ruling force split into the strong and weak forces, electromagnetism, and gravity. Confirming the existence of the Higgs boson was one of the missions of the Large Hadron Collider, which it accomplished in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Higgs Boson<\/strong>

One point that Kaku doesn\u2019t state explicitly is that the Standard Model\u2019s equations are symmetrical only if you presume that subatomic particles have no mass<\/a>. Once mass is introduced into the equations, their inherent symmetry falls apart and they become enormously complex and contradictory. In 1964, Peter Higgs<\/a> proposed a solution\u2014an invisible field permeating space that pushes back on particles as they accelerate<\/a>, imbuing them with what we perceive <\/em>as mass. Higgs\u2019s suggestion was initially rejected, though other physicists eventually warmed to the idea. If mass is the product of an external \u201cHiggs field<\/a>,\u201d then it doesn\u2019t have to be accounted for in the Standard Model\u2019s particle equations.

However, since the Standard Model explains fields as being produced by carrier particles, such as the photon and the gluon, the Higgs field must have a particle too\u2014the Higgs boson<\/a>. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) detected the Higgs boson indirectly by smashing other particles together and interpreting the data<\/a> from their collisions. As subatomic particles break apart, their components decay into a variety of components, and out of every billion LHC collisions, the collider produced a particle that matched predictions of the Higgs boson\u2019s properties<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Gravity Problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite the work done to confirm the Standard Model, it only applies in the realm of quantum mechanics. To achieve a theory unifying all of physics, gravity will have to be folded into the equations for all the other forces. Here, we\u2019ll explain the struggles involved with incorporating gravity into the Standard Model and several discoveries that have been made along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trouble with gravity is that it\u2019s by far the weakest of the universal forces, so it\u2019s virtually impossible to observe on the quantum scale. While Einstein defines gravity as a curvature in space, there\u2019s no way to express this in the mathematics of quantum mechanics. Instead, physicists have tried another tack\u2014to model gravity as a force created by a particle. Just as gluons transmit the strong nuclear force, scientists have proposed the existence of <\/strong>gravitons <\/em><\/strong>that govern gravitational fields.<\/strong> While plausible, Kaku writes that so far no one\u2019s been able to create a mathematical model of gravitons that produces meaningful results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Despite Kaku\u2019s admission that gravitons lack a firm mathematical model, researchers are already thinking about ways that they might be detected experimentally. One approach takes advantage of the idea that force-bearing particles like gravitons and photons can, on rare occasions, convert back and forth. By observing a space where graviton concentration would be highest \u2014such as between colliding black holes\u2014astronomers might witness flashes of light<\/a> as handfuls of gravitons transform into photons. Another approach takes advantage of the Casimir effect<\/a>, in which metallic plates are attracted to each other in a vacuum if they\u2019re placed near enough to experience the effect of quantum forces<\/a>.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the problems of incorporating gravity into quantum mechanics, that hasn\u2019t stopped people from trying. Famed physicist Stephen Hawking has done so by considering what happens in the subatomic world in the one place where gravity can\u2019t be escaped\u2014the event horizon of a black hole, or the dividing line around a black hole\u2019s zone of no return. Black holes are objects so massive and dense that their gravity stops even light from escaping. Kaku says that in this realm of gravitational extremes, Hawking discovered that quantum forces slowly drain energy and mass from a black hole’s gravitational field.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This takes place because, in the subatomic world, empty space isn\u2019t really empty. Kaku points out that in quantum mechanics, empty space is actually a bubbling sea of symmetrical positive and negative particles that pop into being and cancel each other. Normally, these particles vanish before they affect their surroundings, but near a black hole, half of the pair may be sucked in while the other flies free. Since energy can\u2019t be created or destroyed, the energy to create this particle must be subtracted from the black hole, reducing its gravitational pull. In other words, near a black hole, gravity and the quantum world intersect.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simulating Black Holes in the Lab<\/strong>

Dubbed \u201cHawking radiation<\/a>,\u201d the quantum energy drain from a black hole that Kaku describes might be nearly impossible to detect. Hawking\u2019s black hole equations show that in addition to being unbelievably massive, black holes are incredibly cold<\/em> and grow more so as they increase in mass. Black holes \u201chot\u201d enough to give off perceptible Hawking radiation would have to be smaller than any known to exist<\/a>.

However, scientists have found another way. In 2021, researchers used a Bose-Einstein condensate<\/a>\u2014a state of matter that only exists when particles are cooled almost to absolute zero\u2014as a way to simulate conditions near a black hole. They detected Hawking radiation from the quantum condensate<\/a>, which they were able to compare to various models of how Hawking radiation should emerge from black holes.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Back to the Beginning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another point in space and time where quantum mechanics and gravity overlap is the moment of the Big Bang itself. Kaku writes that, because of this, physicists are determined to study and model the first fractions of a second of the universe\u2019s existence. In the first instants of time, all the fundamental forces of nature interacted with each other<\/strong> before branching off into their own domains. We study the conditions in those first moments by recreating them in supercolliders and by looking into the farthest depths of space, which\u2014because light takes time to travel\u2014also entails looking backward in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, Kaku affirms that there are several observations about the Big Bang that can only be explained using quantum mechanics.<\/strong> By treating the Big Bang as a source of quantum radiation, researchers were able to compute the temperature of the Big Bang\u2019s leftover heat, which was confirmed when the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) was discovered in 1964. Another issue is the universe\u2019s rate of expansion, as measured by the stretched-out light waves detected from distant galaxies, which is much faster than Einstein\u2019s equations predict. Kaku argues that quantum theory accounts for this discrepancy by showing that the universe expanded more rapidly in its early stages than was previously thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physics of the Young Universe<\/strong>

The early, rapid expansion that Kaku mentions is referred to as the Inflationary Universe Theory<\/a>. This theory posits that when the fundamental forces began to diverge in the first few seconds after the Big Bang, they unleashed a surge of energy that made the universe expand even more quickly than before. It\u2019s unclear if this is related to the so-called dark energy<\/a> that\u2019s currently accelerating the universe\u2019s expansion. Regardless, this early expansion took place 400,000 years before the earliest image of the universe we have\u2014the aforementioned Cosmic Microwave Background.

In Astrophysics for People in a Hurry<\/em><\/a>, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the CMB as a \u201csnapshot\u201d of the early universe<\/a> at a time when it had cooled enough for photons to pass unimpeded through space without colliding with hot gas particles. Tyson calls attention to the fact that the map of the CMB is lumpy<\/em>\u2014an uneven mix of hot and cool zones that backs up Kaku\u2019s statement that something unbalanced any symmetry the early universe had.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the Standard Model of physics? How close is it to a unified theory? What’s it missing? Scientists have yet to figure out the unifying theory\u2014what theoretical physicist Michio Kaku calls \u201cthe God Equation.\u201d But, physicists have made a great deal of progress using an intermediate step toward that theory. They refer to it as the Standard Model. Keep reading to understand the Standard Model, what it tells us about the universe, and what it doesn’t explain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":37317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[1244],"class_list":["post-111331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-the-god-equation","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\"},\"wordCount\":1775,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The God Equation\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\",\"name\":\"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains - Shortform Books","description":"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains","og_description":"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains","datePublished":"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/"},"wordCount":1775,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","keywords":["The God Equation"],"articleSection":["Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/","name":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-20T17:49:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-23T19:24:23+00:00","description":"The Standard Model is a step toward a unified theory of physics. Learn what it tells us about the universe\u2014and what it fails to explain.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-standard-model-of-physics\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Is the Standard Model of Physics? Michio Kaku Explains"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/particle-atom-abstract-molecule-quantum.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111331"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111383,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111331\/revisions\/111383"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}