So far, scientists — particularly physicists — have been going about research assuming that the physical world stands on four pillars — the four forces that control the natural world. If you were thinking 'earth, wind, water, fire', have another go. The forces controlling the world, and by extension, the visible universe, are gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear forces, and strong nuclear forces. Research from scientists at the Institute for Nuclear Research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Atomki) could be pointing to another, previously undiscovered "force" in nature. They "watched" an energetic (excited) helium atom release energy by emitting light, before returning to its unexcited state. During this process, the particles seemed to split at an unusual angle in repeated studies — always a 115-degree-angle. This phenomenon involving helium has no fitting explanation basis the four known forces that govern the natural world. The output of photo
