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In particle physics, we search for new elementary particles that signal extensions of the fundamental interactions of nature. Experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) produce massive datasets, which physicists scour for evidence of hypothetical particles suggested by theorists. But it is impossible to predict exactly what nature has in store. So can we discover something new without knowing in advance what we are looking for?
Progress in data science gives us new ways to mine the datasets from the LHC. Using artificial intelligence, we can search in a general way for events that are anomalous, signaling behavior outside of our current laws of physics. Coupled with advanced silicon microelectronics, we can apply AI to scan and sort data in real time, keeping pace with the enormous rates at which the LHC collides protons. These game-changing technologies will work even more powerfully at future particle colliders, where era-defining discoveries might be around every corner.