10-Year Study Reveals Electron Shape

lee1 writes "In a 10 year long experiment, scientists at Imperial College have made the most precise measurement so far of the shape of the electron. It's round. So round, in fact, that if the electron were enlarged to the size of the solar system, its shape would diverge from a perfect sphere less than the width of a human hair. The experiment continues in the search for even greater precision. There are implications for understanding processes in the early universe, namely the mysterious fate of the antimatter."

Comments

Re:Curious question

[Relic of the Future]

There don't need to be any competing theories: we have *a* theory and it says "round". Technical capabilities improved so we can test that theory to higher precision. So we tested it. The theory still stands. But the absence of a competing model has ZERO to do with whether or not we should test the current theory.

If you want exactly two sides to every argument, go into political journalism.

If the test had come back negative, THAT would be interesting, and I assure you there would soon be plenty of theories (and then lots of tests!)

Remember, the most interesting phrase in science isn't "Eureka!", it's "Well that wasn't what I expected..."