A model universe

Scientists aren't just looking for the Higgs field because it could explain mass - it's also the missing piece of a very important jigsaw called the 'standard model'. This is a theory that explains how and why most of the universe works like it does.

The standard model has passed every key test scientists have thrown at it, so it's pretty watertight. Only one big thing's missing - evidence that the Higgs field really exists.