One of the tiniest building blocks of the universe has a weigh-in problem, and Ashutosh Kotwal is determined to get to the bottom of it.

For nearly 30 years, the Duke physicist has led a worldwide effort to home in on the mass of a fundamental particle called the W boson.

It’s the force-carrying particle that allows the sun to burn and new elements to form, so it’s pretty important. Without it, the entire universe would be in the dark.