ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Strong CP problem

Okay, so let's imagine you have a bunch of marbles and they come in different colors like red, blue, and green. Now, if you switch two marbles of different colors, for example a red one with a blue one, you can tell the difference because the colors are different.

But, in the world of very tiny particles like protons and neutrons, they also have different colors called "charges" that we can't see. We call them "up" and "down" charges. And just like with the marbles, if you switch an up charge with the down charge, you should be able to tell the difference, right?

Well, that's where the Strong CP Problem comes in. Scientists have noticed that in some cases, when you switch an up charge with a down charge, there doesn't seem to be any difference! This is very confusing and doesn't match up with what we know about how particles should behave.

So, scientists are trying to figure out why this happens and come up with a solution to this problem. It's kind of like trying to solve a puzzle or a mystery. We want to understand the rules that govern the behavior of these tiny particles so we can better understand the world around us.