That simply isn't true. Not discovering a new particle outside of the standard model, not discovering supersymmetry, or bumping against an energy desert does N

That simply isn't true. Not discovering a new particle outside of the standard model, not discovering supersymmetry, or bumping against an energy desert does NOT spell the end of the line for particle physics any more than GR isn't over just because they discovered gravity waves. What you guys don't understand is that model building is not a hard activity at all. SU(5), SO(10), E6 whatever. Graduate students do those calculations all the time. What is hard is understanding concepts and there are more than a few surprises hidden away inside the standard model. Strange matter is poorly understood. There may be ways to pretty up the standard model that haven't been discovered yet. People like to go around complaining how "ugly" it is. It's not. It's prettier and smarter than they are, they're just jealous. Particle physics is doing just great and the only thing wrong with it is that it is dramatically underfunded.