Electroweak theory unifies electromagnetic and weak forces from "summary" of The Quantum Theory of Fields by Steven Weinberg,Weinberg S
The unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces into a single electroweak theory is a major achievement of modern theoretical physics. Before this unification, the electromagnetic and weak forces were thought to be distinct phenomena, described by different theories and operating at different energy scales. The discovery that these two forces could be described by a single mathematical framework was a significant breakthrough in the quest for a unified theory of the fundamental forces of nature. The electromagnetic force is well understood and described by quantum electrodynamics, while the weak force is responsible for processes such as beta decay and is described by a separate theory known as the Glashow-Weinberg-Salam model. The unification of these two forces into the electroweak theory was made possible by the work of Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, and Steven Weinberg in the 1960s. The key insight that led to...
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