We've heard of all the usual.

Electrons, protons, protons, quarks, neutrinos, and if you're a fan of this show, then you've also heard of some of the other rarer particles.

You know, the wimps, the tachions, the monopoles, the whole family of super symmetric partners, the selectrons, the squarks, and yes, even the

we know bosons.

But that's not enough to satisfy your curiosity, is it?

Like a collector of rare and priceless artifacts, you feel compelled to go just a little

bit deeper, a little bit...weirder. I understand that desire, and I

am here to help. So come over here. I've got something to show you. Five of the weirdest,

strangest, rarest, most hypothetical particles in the universe. These particles are so rare,

we're not even sure they even exist. And I think

you're going to like them. I have to give my usual disclaimer whenever I give a list of things.

These are presented in no particular order. So feel free to rank them by whatever criteria

you prefer. You know, interestingness, cheerfulness, propensity for potential cheese

making and so on.

But let's get started.

Number one is the dark photon.

Everybody loves the photon.

You know, it gets along with so many particles, it has infinite range, it makes flashlights

work, but it may not be the only kind of photon out there. It has infinite range. It makes flashlights work.

But it may not be the only kind of photon out there.

And that's why we think there might be the dark photon,

which is like the regular photon, but dark.

...