Higgs boson
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==The Higgs field== | ==The Higgs field== | ||
| − | The Higgs [[Subatomic particle|particle]] is the complementary particle to the Higgs field, the proposed mechanism by which particles attain mass. As a result, it is crucial to the understanding of the workings of the universe and whether the Standard Model is a correct interpretation of the workings of the [[quantum]] world. It is believed that the [[Large Hadron Collider]] at [[CERN]] will allow particle physicists to observe the Higgs boson conclusively for the first time.<ref>There's been ''some'' but not ''conclusive'' evidence that it exists and has been seen in smaller colliders.</ref> As of December 2011, there have been many rumours indicating that the discovery is imminent. It is currently believed that the boson would be discovered in the mass range of 114.4-131 GeV and more specifically around 125 GeV. Despite the apparent likelihood of finding it soon, physicists were still disagreeing about when or if we would find it and even whether or not it exists in late 2011. <ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/dec/06/is-higgs-boson-real The Guardian] December 6, 2011</ref> Despite this in early 2012 CERN and another research | + | The Higgs [[Subatomic particle|particle]] is the complementary particle to the Higgs field, the proposed mechanism by which particles attain mass. As a result, it is crucial to the understanding of the workings of the universe and whether the Standard Model is a correct interpretation of the workings of the [[quantum]] world. It is believed that the [[Large Hadron Collider]] at [[CERN]] will allow particle physicists to observe the Higgs boson conclusively for the first time.<ref>There's been ''some'' but not ''conclusive'' evidence that it exists and has been seen in smaller colliders.</ref> As of December 2011, there have been many rumours indicating that the discovery is imminent. It is currently believed that the boson would be discovered in the mass range of 114.4-131 GeV and more specifically around 125 GeV. Despite the apparent likelihood of finding it soon, physicists were still disagreeing about when or if we would find it and even whether or not it exists in late 2011. <ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/dec/06/is-higgs-boson-real The Guardian] December 6, 2011</ref> Despite this in early 2012 CERN and another research from data collected by the Tevatron have both found inconclusive evidence that the Higgs boson exists with a mass close to 125 GeV. <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17269647 Higgs boson hints multiply in US Tevatron facility data]</ref> |
==Sci-fi== | ==Sci-fi== | ||
Revision as of 17:48, 7 March 2012
The Higgs boson, or the "God particle" (apparently because they weren't allowed to call it the "goddamned!" particle in honour of how difficult it is to find), is the last remaining unobserved particle in the Standard Model of physics, and is the reason scientists are apparently going to destroy the Earth.[1] Like photons, they are a type of boson.
Unlike the nickname suggests, observation of the "God Particle" would neither count as proof nor disproof of the existence of (a) God. This misunderstanding has led to many fundamentalists and creationists getting hot and bothered about physics which they are probably not mentally equipped to understand.
Contents |
The Higgs field
The Higgs particle is the complementary particle to the Higgs field, the proposed mechanism by which particles attain mass. As a result, it is crucial to the understanding of the workings of the universe and whether the Standard Model is a correct interpretation of the workings of the quantum world. It is believed that the Large Hadron Collider at CERN will allow particle physicists to observe the Higgs boson conclusively for the first time.[2] As of December 2011, there have been many rumours indicating that the discovery is imminent. It is currently believed that the boson would be discovered in the mass range of 114.4-131 GeV and more specifically around 125 GeV. Despite the apparent likelihood of finding it soon, physicists were still disagreeing about when or if we would find it and even whether or not it exists in late 2011. [3] Despite this in early 2012 CERN and another research from data collected by the Tevatron have both found inconclusive evidence that the Higgs boson exists with a mass close to 125 GeV. [4]
Sci-fi
The Higgs' so far elusive nature has given science fiction authors a carte-blanche for scientifically "plausible" jargon to fill their scripts with.[5]
More Sci-fi
God/Nature/Something is stopping us finding that Higgs boson. The Higgs boson doesn’t want to be created or discovered so it or something is travelling back in time to disrupt the Large Hadron Collider and prevent its creation/discovery. Or God or Nature or something is causing accidents to happen there. Could the Large Hadron Collider be sabotaging itself from the future, as some physicists say??? Below are other possibilities:-
- The FBI, the CIA a secret branch of the United States Marine Corps or some other nefarious American organisation is sabotaging CERN because they don’t want Europe to get ahead of the United States in this important area of research. Some Europeans just might believe that, could Americans believe it as well? This hypothesis has recently lost quite a bit of weight with the shutting down of the Tevatron:[6] if we didn't want them to get ahead, why would we shut down the only way we could possibly catch up?
- Extraterrestrials are sabotaging the LHC because they don’t want Earthlings to get ahead in this important area of research. [7]
- Vast numbers of important research projects happen all the time over the decades and centuries and from time to time somewhere or other Improbable things happen, see Coincidences: Remarkable or Random?
See also
External links
- Faster-than-light neutrino result queried The BBC is unsure if the Higgs boson has been discovered or not.
- Large Hadron Collider results excite scientists
- Higgs Boson: One page explanation 5 "simple" explanations about the wonderful boson
Footnotes
- ↑ Go here to see if they have yet!
- ↑ There's been some but not conclusive evidence that it exists and has been seen in smaller colliders.
- ↑ The Guardian December 6, 2011
- ↑ Higgs boson hints multiply in US Tevatron facility data
- ↑ A tour of the Higgs in fiction, from Wikipedia
- ↑ BBC News: Tevatron atom smasher shuts after more than 25 years
- ↑ American or alien conspiracies are really improbable but isn't backward time travel even more improbable? At least specualtion about backwards time travel won't offend the Americans or offend the aliens.