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In the 1920s the unification of quantum theory and
relativity led to a startling prediction -- for
every fundamental particle of matter there should be a
corresponding antiparticle of equal mass.
The existence of antiparticles was soon confirmed by experiments.
Unification of gravity with the other fundamental forces,
leads to another startling prediction -- for every particle of
matter and for every particle that is a carrier of force,
there is a massive shadow particle partner of the other
type. This new symmetry between particles of matter
and carriers-of-force is called supersymmetry.
No supersymmetric particle has yet been seen, but experiments
to search for these particles are underway at CERN and
Fermilab, two of the biggest particle physics research facilities in the world.
One of the supersymmetric particles (the "neutralino") might
contribute to the missing dark matter in the Universe. (See the next page.)
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