Physicists Solve a Muon Mystery. Now, Old Results Don't Add Up
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New lattice calculations suggest the muon wobble matches the Standard Model, casting doubt on prior data.
For 25 years, a discrepancy in the muon's magnetic wobble hinted at new particles. In 2021, a lattice QCD calculation by the BMW group found the wobble matched Standard Model predictions, contradicting older 'data-driven' calculations based on electron-positron collisions. A new measurement from Siberia's VEPP-2000 collider shows a divergent pion production rate, aligning with lattice results but conflicting with past experiments. Physicists now face a puzzle: whether experimental discrepancies arise from unknown particles or overlooked procedural details.
What commenters are saying
Commenters mostly welcome the scientific process, with many expressing excitement over the mystery and the chance for new physics. One counterpoint notes that while science's self-correction is a strength, the fallibility itself is a weakness; another observes that such upheavals can be devastating for PhD students whose work is invalidated. A few commenters discuss the Three Body Problem as an implausible depiction of scientists' reactions, arguing real researchers would be thrilled, not suicidal, by anomalous results.