Multiverse (artist’s concept above) still froths restlessly somewhere.
Yes, the standard model of the universe is safe if experimental physics matters:
The world’s top particle physics lab said Friday it had measured the decay time of a particle known as a Bs (B sub s) meson into two other fundamental particles called muons, which are much heavier than but similar to electrons. It was observed as part of the reams of data coming from CERN’s $10 billion Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest atom smasher, on the Swiss-French border near Geneva.
The rare sighting at the European Center for Nuclear Research, known by its French acronym CERN, shows that the so-called standard model of particle physics is “coming through with flying colors,” though it describes only 5 percent of the universe, said Pierluigi Campana, who leads one of the two main teams at CERN involved in the research.
Compare that, if you will, with the further reaches of cosmology’s evidence for the multiverse: New Scientist told us in 2009,
Until recently, many were reluctant to accept this idea of the “multiverse”, or were even belligerent towards it. However, recent progress in both cosmology and string theory is bringing about a major shift in thinking. Gone is the grudging acceptance or outright loathing of the multiverse. Instead, physicists are starting to look at ways of working with it, and maybe even trying to prove its existence. – Anil Ananthaswamy, “How to map the multiverse,” New Scientist (04 May 2009)
Note: The original article is hidden behind a paywall, but Peter Woit, who is not sympathetic to design, picked up the same smoke signal we did.