[VadeRetro]

As a result, isolated neutrons decay into protons in about 10 minutes.

An oddly incomplete description of this decay. Most accounts say a free neutron decays to yield a proton, an electron, and a neutrino. In fact, it was the variable energy sum from the easily observable parts of this decay (the proton and the electron) that led to the hypothesis that something harder to observe (the neutrino) must be in the mix as well. It was the first hint scientists had that neutrinos even exist.

The usual description of proton decay does not violate something called the conservation of electric charge. The writer of the article seems unaware of any such law.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The whole thing with neutrons and neutrions is enlightening. The existance of the neutron was hypothesized in the 1920s (I think) to explain atomic weights and alpha decay. The neutrino was hypothesized to explain beta decay having a continuous spectrum. During the late 1920s, there were two unseen (dark matter like) particles that were thought to exist. Both were found later.

[Boiler Plate]

In fact, it was the variable energy sum from the easily observable parts of this decay (the proton and the electron) that led to the hypothesis that something harder to observe (the neutrino) must be in the mix as well. It was the first hint scientists had that neutrinos even exist.

No, there is a slight inbalance in that equation that has desribed the K(Ee)^2 term as negligible. Perhaps it is not negligible after all.

Regards,
Boiler Plate