A hundred million neutrinos pass through your thumbnail every second

Space · Published 31 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: They are the most abundant particles in the universe after light, yet they are nearly impossible to detect. These ghostly subatomic travelers ghost through solid matter so effortlessly that only one will interact with your entire body during your lifetime.

Neutrinos are produced by a vast array of sources, ranging from cosmic events and nuclear reactions in the sun and earth's core to human-made particle accelerators and nuclear reactors. They are even present in everyday objects like bananas because of the radioactive potassium they contain. These particles originate from a wide variety of locations across the cosmos and our own planet. They are also generated within human-made facilities like nuclear reactors. Even common foods can be sources due to their specific chemical makeup.

What makes neutrinos so elusive is their extremely weak interaction with matter. They interact almost exclusively via the weak force, meaning they can pass through vast distances without being diverted or absorbed. This lack of interaction makes them some of the least understood particles in existence, as they are effectively invisible to most detection methods. Because they rarely engage with other matter, scientists find them incredibly difficult to observe. This unique property makes them one of the most mysterious components of our reality. They move through solid objects without any significant interference or absorption.

Despite their difficulty to study, neutrinos are central to understanding our origins. Researchers like Dr. Kirsty Duffy use neutrino research to address fundamental cosmological questions, such as why the universe exists at all. One primary mystery involves the Big Bang theory, which suggests that equal amounts of matter and anti-matter were created, leaving scientists searching for answers on how the current universe formed. Dr. Kirsty Duffy's work specifically seeks to solve these profound mysteries regarding our existence. Her research aims to clarify how the universe came to be in its current state. By studying these particles, physicists hope to uncover the secrets of cosmic evolution.

At Fermilab, researchers work to identify these particles from specific sources like accelerators and explore extreme environments, such as whether neutrinos can pass through neutron stars. Fermilab scientists are currently investigating whether these subatomic travelers can penetrate dense neutron stars. They also work to confirm that neutrinos detected in labs actually originate from specific accelerators. This research helps map out the behavior of particles in extreme environments.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The elusive neutrino: a particle that passes through you by the millions
• Capturing the ghost particles that pass through your body every second
• The ghost particles passing through your body by the millions
• Nature's ghosts are currently hurtling through your body by the trillions
• The invisible particles passing through your body every second
• How a single spoonful of cosmic matter might outweigh our entire planet
• Why does the universe favor matter over its mirror image?
• Is the universe finally breaking out of its billion-year monotony?
• Is our universe just one of many in a vast multiverse?
• Could invisible, universe-spanning cracks be remnants of the Big Bang?
• The universe is comprehensible, yet we are still largely in the dark
• The invisible forces that make up 95% of our universe

More in Cosmology · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics