In another few months the Large Hadron Collider will be powered up to explore its maximum energy range. Many physicists fervently hope we will see definite signs of "new physics," especially a phenomenon called "supersymmetry." In the simplest view, the Standard Model souped-up with supersymmetry will offer a massive new partner particle for every known particle (electron, quark, neutrino, etc). One of these, called the neutralino, may even explain dark matter itself!
Supersymmetry is the foundational cornerstone on which string theory rests. That's why physicists call this "stringy" theory of matter "superstring theory." If the LHC does not turn up any signs of supersymmetry during the next two or three years, not only will simple modifications to the current Standard Model be ruled out, but the most elegant forms of supersymmetry theory will fall too.
As an astronomer I am not too worried. The verified Standard Model is now fully capable of accounting for everything we see in the universe since a trillion-trillion-trillionth of a second after the Big Bang to the present time, once you include gravity, and don't worry too much about dark matter and dark energy. But we need some explanation for dark energy and dark matter to complete our understanding of the cosmos, and for that we still need our physicist friends to show the way. Currently their only answers involve supersymmetry theory. If this idea falls, astronomers will be completely stumped to explain what governs our universe on the largest scales.
To read more, click here.