There may be a fifth force in the universe - Financial Times

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/94974922-2ca9-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc.html#ixzz4AzVm797W

A
sublime coincidence slipped by unnoticed last month. While audiences were thrilling to premieres of Tim Burton’s film Alice Through the Looking Glass, in which Alice steps into a strange world where everything is “contrariwise”, physicists in Hungary announced they had possibly found the key to an unseen portion of the universe.
The results, which are a talking point in laboratories the world over, are remarkable because they might point to the existence of a fifth fundamental force. The current model for nature’s physical laws allows for four forces: the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear interaction, the weak nuclear interaction, and gravitation. A fifth would, literally, be a force for revolutionary change.

In truth, a revolution is a little overdue. The reason is so-called dark matter, the hidden stuff that makes up more than 80 per cent of the mass of the universe. Astronomers know it is there because of the gravitational effect it exerts on celestial bodies, but it behaves differently from the matter that makes up the visible world.
One way of investigating matter is to engineer collisions between particles, and then detect the particles that flutter out of the debris; this is how the elementary Higgs boson particle was conjured up at Cern. To this end, Attila Krasznahorkay at Hungary’s Institute for Nuclear Physics, fired protons at lithium isotopes, which produced unstable beryllium nuclei. These beryllium nuclei then decayed, as expected, into electron-positron pairs that flew away from each other at various angles.
But, anomalously, these electron-positron pairs seemed to have a fondness for shooting away from each other at 140 degrees. The simplest explanation was a new, intermediate particle in the radioactive decay mix. Calculations suggested a mass of 17 megaelectronvolts (MeV), around 7,000 times lighter than the Higgs boson.
While the Higgs was forecast to exist, this new nimble particle was not. That is why the team spent three years checking their results before going public. It is, as Alice muses while being bamboozled by the Red Queen, exactly like a riddle with no answer.

Gravitational waves and our golden age of physics

Confirmation of Einstein’s theory vindicates the pursuit of science and technology for its own sake
One exciting possibility is that the new particle is a missing link between our familiar world of matter and the unseen world of dark matter. One theory is that it is a “dark photon”, the carrier of an as yet unidentified force that might be connected with dark matter. A reanalysis led by Jonathan Feng at the University of California, Irvine, does not quite support the “dark photon” suggestion but does back the idea that it represents a fifth force operating over super-short distances.
The finding has also piqued the curiosity of those on the DarkLight project, who are exploring the “dark sector” (both dark matter and dark energy), and are looking for dark photons at between 10 and 100 MeV. They will now target 17 MeV as a priority, in an attempt to unmask the same particle.
To say that confirmation would be thrilling is an understatement. The theories of physics may be elegant but they are incomplete, capable of explaining only a small fraction of the observable universe. To uncover a new particle that straddles our visible world and the invisible world of dark matter would unlock a new realm of physics.
Even so, both visible and dark matter together account together for less than half of what we know exists in our universe. The biggest constituent is thought to be dark energy, which, contrariwise, might have nothing to do with dark matter. The more we learn, the more mysterious things become. The White Queen, who took pride in believing six impossible things before breakfast, would surely be clapping her hands in delight.
The writer is a science commentator

Cosmetic Lancombe in political trouble over sponsorship in HK - HK Free Press

We are all Denise Ho’: Lawmakers and activists protest against Lancôme ‘censorship’, urge boycott
8 June 2016 14:48 Kris Cheng

Dozens gathered outside Lancôme store in Times Square, Causeway Bay on Wednesday in protest of the company’s decision to cancel a concert featuring pro-democracy star Denise Ho Wan-see.
The French cosmetics giant cancelled the June 19 concert after Chinese state mouthpiece Global Times accused Ho of being a supporter of Hong Kong and Tibetan independence movements. The move sparked controversy among netizens and customers. Ho supported the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy protests but has rarely spoken about the independence debate.

Photo: SocRec.
The protesters urged an international boycott of the brand, as well as other brands under its parent group L’Oréal, until a full explanation and an apology are given. They urged to company to promise not to carry out further political censorship.


“What shocks the society is that an international brand, emphasising social responsibility and women[‘s] empowerment like Lancôme, also kneeled down to the bullying government,” said Avery Ng Man-yuen, chairman of the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats party.

Photo: Apple Daily screenshot.
Ng said the incident was a “great contradiction to L’Oréal’s mission.”
“Lancôme not only insulted Denise Ho, but also insulted Hong Kong citizens who fought for democracy for years, and all global citizens embracing democracy and liberty,” Ng added.
Several lawmakers of pro-democracy parties attended the protest, namely Helena Wong Pik-wan of the Democratic Party, Gary Fan Kwok-wai of the Neo Democrats, Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung of the Labour Party.

Photo: SocRec.
Citing a Whatsapp message from Denise Ho, lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung said although Ho could not come due to her busy schedule, she thanked participants at the protest.

Claudia Mo (far right). Photo: Apple Daily.
“[She said] this matter is not her personal matter, and not the company’s matter anymore – it is white terror,” he said. “She hopes everyone will keep fighting, otherwise people will all live in fear.”

Stores closed across the city. Photo: Apple Daily.
The protesters produced a large banner with Ho’s face that said “We are all Denise Ho – say no to mainland tyranny”. Other banners read “No kowtow to Beijing” and “Protecting Hong Kong’s core values.”
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Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching said Ho’s treatment by the firm was “simply blatant, naked and despicable”.
“We need to ask, whatever happened to the French qualities… liberty, equality, fraternity – are they telling us these days, today, that money talks? Profits come first?” she asked.
People Power party representative Tam Tak-chi questioned Lancôme’s decision to pull Ho from the event. He said that brand ambassadors who opposed animal testing for cosmetic products have not been dropped. L’Oreal is accused of using animal testing.
“Does that mean Hong Kong people are easier targets to suppression?” he asked.

Photo: Resistance Live.
Apology demanded
The Lancôme booth at Lane Crawford in Times Square was closed ahead of the protest.
The protesters pasted props criticising the company onto the booth, including one saying “Lancôme Lanout Hong Kong” – demanding the brand leave the city.

Photo: Apple Daily screenshot.
Ng said that they will allow a week for L’Oréal to apologise, and will not rule out any further actions.
A French petition addressed to L’Oréal Hong Kong president Stephen Mosely has almost reached its goal of 5,000 signatures.
Lancôme’s Facebook page, which posted statements cancelling the concert, has not been updated since Sunday.