5th Force

ACCORDING TO THE CURrent Standard Model, four fundamental forces underpin all known physics: electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. However, since the mid-1980s, physicists have wondered if a fifth fundamental force could exist, which would help to explain some observational anomalies. And since then, many studies have boldly claimed discovery of this elusive force.

- Darren Orf

In 1986, for example, scientists at MIT thought that antigravity could maybe be a fifth force, and in 2000, another group named the force "quintessence" as a way to explain dark energy. In 2015, a study by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences discovered a particle 30 times heavier than an electron that could form the basis of a fifth force, and the U.S.based Fermilab stated boldly that they were on the cusp of discovering this mysterious force less than two years ago.

And, of course, there's a strong contingent of physicists who think a fifth force doesn't exist at all.