New evidence of muon neutrinos turning into electron neutrinos
could pave the way for spotting differences between matter and
antimatter. That may not mean much to most people but scientists
think it might be a big clue in the search for why matter is
everywhere and antimatter is not. Physicists believe matter and
antimatter should behave the same way to preserve the symmetry
outlined in the standard model of physics. But matter dominated
over antimatter following the Big Bang. Here are the basics on
neutrinos. They are tiny, invisible particles that pass through
our bodies millions of times a day. They leave no trace because
they are so fast and so light, traveling constantly through
space all the time. This characteristic also makes them very
difficult for physicists to detect. Generally, a neutrino
detector has to be constructed in an underground bunker where
cosmic rays can’t penetrate. One such experiment was just barely
underway in Japan when the big 9.0 earthquake disrupted the
island nation and brough