Beyond the standard model with the LHC

Whether or not the Large Hadron Collider reveals the long-awaited Higgs particle, it is likely to lead to discoveries that add to, or challenge, the standard model of particle physics. Data produced will be pored over for any evidence of supersymmetric partners for the existing denizens of the particle 'zoo' and for the curled-up extra dimensions demanded by string theory. There might also be clues as to why matter dominates over antimatter in the Universe, and as to the nature of the Universe's dark matter.