Particle physics - Recent successes and future prospects

The situation in particle physics today is highly analogous to that which existed in chemistry towards the end of the 19th century. During the preceding two centuries, remarkable progress has been achieved in that discipline, progress that culminated in the periodic table of Mendeleyev. This paper summarized not only the realization that the everyday matter is composed of basic building blocks, called elements, but also that these different elements had certain similarities which could be used to properly arrange them in the periodic table. Thus the inert gases (helium, neon, argon, etc.) had very similar chemical properties, namely chemical inertness; the halogens (chlorine, iodine, florine) on the other hand were highly reactive. Other similarities were seen among the rare earth group of elements, alkaline earths, and alkali metals. In this paper the author attempts to summarize briefly the historical background that led us to the present level of understanding, or more specifically to the ''standard model'' of particle physics. He also describes several difficulties with this picture, continues with some possible indications of new physics, and finally end with the discussion of the prospects for the future