Part 11/14:
Currently, physicists are unsure whether the universe is in a stable or metastable state. The data suggest that the risk of decay is exceedingly tiny—far beyond the lifespan of the universe as we know it. And experiments like those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)—notably the detection of the Higgs boson—help refine our understanding of these parameters.
The LHC and the Search for Stability
Led by scientist Lynn Evans, the LHC has confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson, measuring its mass accurately. These measurements indicate we live in a metastable vacuum, but the decay probability remains insignificant on any cosmic timescale.