The Higgs Boson Particle has been found!

[Stretch]

The Higgs Boson is the secret ingredient in the manufacture of Zolex. You heard it here first.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by zeg

That's the problem. It has nothing whatsoever to do with that, it's just the last integral piece of the Standard Model of particle physics to be observed. The "God Particle" nonsense is pure, unadulterated silliness.

It's an important particle, because according to the theory, interactions with it are what give mass to the other particles. It was hard to find because the theory had an unconstrained parameter: the mass of the Higgs. We've known for a long time it had to be massive, since otherwise it would have been found long ago, but until recently there wasn't really any particularly useful upper bound on that mass. It was not a forgone conclusion that even the LHC would find it.

Without the Higgs, we'd have a significant hole in our understanding of particle physics. This would be a big problem because the Standard Model is ridiculously accurate. It has made predictions that agree with later measurements to something absurd like 15 digits of precision. It's so good that it'd be crazy (but possible) for this part to be wrong. In some ways, it'd have been more exciting if it hadn't been found, because there'd be an obvious mystery to attack.

It's still premature to say that this mystery is solved, however. The results announced this week tell us that a new particle has been found, and it behaves as the Higgs boson is expected to behave in a few situations. There are other properties of the particle that need to be examined to see if it has all the expected properties that the Higgs boson should have: it's still a serious possibility that the theory was only approximately correct, and the new particle is not exactly a Higgs boson.

What you may notice from the above is that none of it has anything to do with whether God exists. The only thing that any of this would tell us about God is that, if he exists, he's very organized in his approach to the Universe, and maybe a bit of a math nerd. Even that's a reach, though, because maybe He just likes toying with us.

Thanks for that. So, the LHC was literally purposefully built for the Higgs? I also read that but thought it was probably incorrect. Surely they built it because it is expected to be used for other research purposes.

Another thing - and I could find out for myself, but maybe you have the answer readily available: does the Higgs actually have mass? I would've thought otherwise.

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

God will never be proven to exist by science.

Never say never, but yeah, that's not the foundation for the belief in His existence.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by Stretch

The Higgs Boson is the secret ingredient in the manufacture of Zolex. You heard it here first.

It's what's been missing from all the cheap Kool-aid rip-offs.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

God will never be proven to exist by science.

Agreed.  Read the book, Contact by Carl Sagan.  He gives a very cool explanation why.  It was not in the movie.

With each discovery, like the Higgs Boson, will come new questions and new mysteries.  That is what is wonderful about science.

[ApocG10]

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

God will never be proven to exist by science.

Of course not. You can't prove a fairy tale.

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by ApocG10

Of course not. You can't prove a fairy tale.

Not how I meant it but I understand your position.

[danieldrieberg]

I find it amusing the Higgs  Boson particle thread was located directly above the Tom Cruise Scientology thread.

The Higgs discovery is VERY KOOL. But to be labelled the "God Particle" is a bit premature. The String Theory implies multiple dimensions. Now that's HUGELY KOOL. Perhaps God is hiding out in one of those dimension's ala Marvel's Gambit hero.

[The Tin Man]

The original God Particle Theory states that all that is......is god.

That makes us all particles of god arguing whether or not we exist.....in multiple universes....at the same time.....taking both sides of the argument.

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by The Tin Man

The original God Particle Theory states that all that is......is god.

That makes us all particles of god arguing whether or not we exist.....in multiple universes....at the same time.....taking both sides of the argument.

Ditto

[danieldrieberg]

Originally Posted by The Tin Man

The original God Particle Theory states that all that is......is god.

That makes us all particles of god arguing whether or not we exist.....in multiple universes....at the same time.....taking both sides of the argument.

I love it .  Quantum Physics has an associated symmetry theory which supposes paired particle types. Matter/antimatter etc. I'm OK with dual multi dimensional philosophical thoughts. Whether its God or No God ....or Pepsi Vs Coke.

Special note.  I can not see a multi dimensional  view of Mountain Dew vs Mellow Yellow......gotta draw the line somewhere.

[The Tin Man]

Same Thing only Different.

[boogielicious]

I wonder what the CERN accelerator would do to a Pro V1.... or Tom Cruise.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by The Tin Man

The original God Particle Theory states that all that is......is god.

That makes us all particles of god arguing whether or not we exist.....in multiple universes....at the same time.....taking both sides of the argument.

Perfectly said. Domenic should read this.

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Perfectly said. Domenic should read this.

I know, right?

[iacas]

The best "Higgs Boson for Dummies" article I've read: http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/07/a-higgs-boson-qa/ .

Of course, that said, you still have to know what things like quarks and gluons are, so when I say "for dummies" I'm still excluding a lot of smart people who just don't know much about physics. :-P

[Mattplusness]

I.......

do not care

[Etzwane]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Thanks for that. So, the LHC was literally purposefully built for the Higgs? I also read that but thought it was probably incorrect. Surely they built it because it is expected to be used for other research purposes.

Another thing - and I could find out for myself, but maybe you have the answer readily available: does the Higgs actually have mass? I would've thought otherwise.

To be founded for such a large international project, the scientific case is often a combinaison of

1/ measuring better what we know exists

2/ we think hypothesis (e.g. the Higgs for the LHC) is true and we can prove or disprove it

3/ We have hypotheses on what else could exist (for the LHC that would be a theory more fundamental that the Standard Model) and we can investigate

And yes, the Higgs bosons has a mass (around 125 times the mass of a proton if what was since is indeed the Higgs).

[cliffj]

The best "Higgs Boson for Dummies" article I've read: [URL=http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/07/a-higgs-boson-qa/]http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/07/a-higgs-boson-qa/[/URL] . Of course, that said, you still have to know what things like quarks and gluons are, so when I say "for dummies" I'm still excluding a lot of smart people who just don't know much about physics. :-P

While being neither "up" nor "down" on this, there is a certain "charm" to it "all", albeit "strange". (I know I am scraping "bottom" on this....)