
The model was developed through the efforts of many scientists in the second half of the 20th century. Its predictions were repeatedly confirmed by experiments: in 1983, the W and Z bosons were discovered; in 1995, the top quark; and in 2012, the Higgs boson at CERN.
Interaction occurs through exchange: two electrons repel each other by emitting and absorbing photons (particles of light). Quarks are held together by gluons. And the Higgs field, permeating the entire Universe, slows down some particles, creating the effect of mass — like moving through thick honey.