The ‘standard model’ of modern particle physics includes the inherent law that electric charge, like energy and mass, is conserved.
Although theoretically an electron could decay into a photon and a neutrino, doing so would violate this principle. So, assuming electrons obey the law of charge conservation, they do indeed live forever.
Experimental searches have so far found no evidence for spontaneous electron decay.
This gives scientists an estimate for the minimum lifetime of the electron; it’s about 6.6 × 1028 years – this is 66,000 ‘yottayears’.
Since this is about 5 quintillion times the age of the Universe, even if electrons don’t live forever, they may as well do!
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Brian Shimell, Banstead) 'Do electrons live forever?'
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