Today, most physicists are chasing ever-greater symmetry in ideas such as supersymmetry and string theory. But is it really as sacred as it seems? A slew of recent results suggests the universe has a deeper law: a preference for extreme levels of the strange quantum phenomenon known as entanglement. If borne out, it would mark a profound shift in our understanding of reality, from one governed by geometric perfection to one shaped by a ghostly interconnectedness of things. “It gives us a new handle,” says Ian Low, a theorist at Northwestern University in Illinois. “Prior to this, we had no idea where symmetry comes from.”