Anomaly (physics)

In physics, an anomaly is when something doesn't happen the way we think it's supposed to. It's like when you put a puzzle piece where it doesn't fit, and it looks different than the picture on the box. Sometimes, when scientists are studying things like particles (tiny pieces that make up everything), they find that they don't behave the way they expect them to. This is an anomaly. It's a clue that there might be something new and interesting going on that we didn't know about before. It's like finding a secret door in a video game that leads to a whole new level. Scientists get excited about anomalies because they help us learn more about the universe and how it works.