Scientists Say They've Discovered a New Particle For over 50 years, the pentaquark was only theoretical.

By Nina Zipkin

Shutterstock

It's been a big week for scientific achievement with regard to some of the (relatively) smaller elements of our universe.

While NASA's historic flyby of dwarf planet Pluto has us looking to stars, a discovery made this week by the scientists working with CERN's (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) Large Hadron Collider -- the biggest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world -- expands what we know about the building blocks of the world around us.

Related: Scientists Say They Can Recreate Living Dinosaurs Within the Next 5 Years

For those of us who may have blocked out high school chemistry or physics, quarks are the particles of matter that pair up to construct protons and neutrons in atoms. The newly discovered particles are called pentaquarks and they have been purely theoretical for a little over 50 years. Pentaquarks consist of five quarks – four normal quarks and one antiquark.

American physicist Murray Gell-Mann coined the term in 1964, and was awarded the Noble Prize in 1969 for his work. In a release from CERN, spokesperson Guy Wilkinson explained why the discovery is so special.

Related: Google's Next Goal: Trying to Improve Robot-Assisted Surgery

"It represents a way to aggregate quarks, namely the fundamental constituents of ordinary protons and neutrons, in a pattern that has never been observed before in over fifty years of experimental searches. Studying its properties may allow us to understand better how ordinary matter, the protons and neutrons from which we're all made, is constituted," said Wilkinson.

The plan now is to study how the four quarks and one antiquark work together to make up these pentaquarks. And with that, our world gets bigger because of something so incredibly small.

Related: This MIT Grad Is Changing Medicine With a Needle-Covered Pill

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Applications Are Surging': Small Business Administration Reports Significant Growth in Loan Approvals

The Small Business Administration launched its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative last month.

Buying / Investing in Business

What You Need to Know Before Investing in a Company That's Preparing to Go Public

Pre-IPO is more than a funding stage — it's an operating mindset. Here's how to identify companies that are genuinely exit-ready.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Saying 'Please' and 'Thank You' to ChatGPT Costs OpenAI 'Tens of Millions of Dollars'

It's more environmentally friendly (and cost-efficient) to skip the niceties.

Science & Technology

4 Ways to Keep Your Brand Alive in the Age of ChatGPT and AI Search

To stay competitive today, brands must build authority and adapt across all search touchpoints, from LLMs to Google to social platforms.