To the Higgs Scale and Beyond

As collider physics ramped up during the 20th century, physicists discovered that the universe consists of a zoo of particles. Some of these particles are fundamental, others are composite. The fundamental particles neatly arrange themselves into the 'Standard Model' of particle physics -- a succinct description of everything in the universe (that we know how to describe using quantum physics). This semilab will go through the building blocks and symmetries of the Standard Model, from the electrons and neutrinos to the Higgs. We will also discuss open problems — what aspects of the universe (such as dark matter) we know are not yet understood — as well as speculation about what lies beyond the current reach of our most advanced colliders.