Scientists may finally discover why the universe exists
What's the story
In a South Dakota lab, scientists are trying to find out why the universe exists.
However, they aren't alone in this quest, as they are racing against a Japanese team that is expected to turn on their neutrino beam in less than two years, which is earlier than the American project.
Both teams are building detectors to study neutrinos, a sub-atomic particle. Their studies could explain why matter and antimatter exist, instead of canceling each other and thus ending life.
Project
A look at DUNE
The American team's quest for answers takes them to the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), 1.5km beneath the Earth's surface in South Dakota.
DUNE's Science Director, Dr. Jaret Heise, calls these massive underground caverns "cathedrals to science."
They have been painstakingly built over the last decade to protect DUNE from outside noise and radiation.
Now, they are all set for the next step of this historic experiment.
Particle collision
Keys to understanding universe's existence
The creation of the universe resulted in two kinds of particles: matter and antimatter. They should have theoretically canceled each other out, leaving only energy.
Yet, here we are as matter. Scientists believe understanding why matter triumphed over antimatter could be the key to comprehending our existence.
To explore this question, they'll fire beams of both neutrino types (neutrinos and anti-neutrinos) from Illinois deep underground to South Dakota's detectors, 1,287km away.
Global effort
A unified quest for answers
DUNE is an international project with 1,500 scientists from 30 different countries.
Among them is Sussex University's Dr. Kate Shaw, who believes the discoveries ahead will be "transformative" to our understanding of the universe and humanity's view of itself.
She expressed her excitement about having the technology and skills necessary to tackle these big questions now.
Hyper-K
Japan's Hyper-K: A new frontier in neutrino detection
Meanwhile, Japanese scientists are also on a quest for answers, using their own neutrino detector, Super K. They are now building Hyper-K, a larger and more advanced version of its predecessor.
The neutrino beam of the Japanese-led team will be operational within two years - several years before the American project.
Goals
Race to the finish
Both DUNE and Hyper-K are international collaborations, with scientists from across the globe joining hands to answer fundamental questions about our existence.
This parallel experimentation could provide more insights than either project could alone.
However, Dr. Linda Cremonesi from Queen Mary University in London warns that being first may not give the Japanese team a complete understanding of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos' behavior.
The race is on, but definitive answers may still be years away.