Higgs boson captured!

[fergus]

There was great excitement in the scientific world yesterday with the announcement that the Higgs boson had been captured in CERN; see the Irish Times article....

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opi ... 26889.html

It seems to have been a truly momentous event in Science. I appreciate the occasion but I do not pretend to understand it all. I wonder what Simon, the Forum’s Resident Physicist thinks of it all and whether you would be able to give the layman’s version of what has been achieved?


Very coincidentally I started reading Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons” last weekend for some light entertainment.

[Diapason]

Well I'm long out of physics, but I was quite excited about it all nonetheless. When I was at college we heard a lot about the "Large Hadron Collider" that was being built and how it was hoped that that Standard Model would be completed, so it's nice to get a sense of closure on that!

I can't remember enough high energy physics to even pretend to have a really good grasp of it all, but I assume that once upon a time I understood it well enough. I won't insult you by trying to give a layman's version of events that I only half understand now. For me, the thing I really enjoy about it all is the incredible interaction between theoretical physics and experimental physics on this one. It's a massive triumph for both sides of the discipline.

[Diapason]

Actually the "Non-technical overview" on the wiki page is worth a look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

[Seán]

Actually the "Non-technical overview" on the wiki page is worth a look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

Super article Simon, thanks for that.

[fergus]

Well I'm long out of physics, but I was quite excited about it all nonetheless. When I was at college we heard a lot about the "Large Hadron Collider" that was being built and how it was hoped that that Standard Model would be completed, so it's nice to get a sense of closure on that!

I can't remember enough high energy physics to even pretend to have a really good grasp of it all, but I assume that once upon a time I understood it well enough. I won't insult you by trying to give a layman's version of events that I only half understand now. For me, the thing I really enjoy about it all is the incredible interaction between theoretical physics and experimental physics on this one. It's a massive triumph for both sides of the discipline.

Yes indeed, I though that the whole thing might get your synapses firing all right. Thanks for the like; I will have a look at that later.

[HiFiFan]

I attended a conference last year where CERN presented on LHC, very interesting with insights into both the sceince and the control systems.

You can watch the talk at http://icalepcs2011.esrf.eu/programme/Keynotes It is the one from Guido Tonelli.

Also check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18708741 for more sub atomic particles

[Tertonmike]

"We don't serve faster-than-light particles" says the barman.
A Higgs' boson walks into a bar.

[mick]

"We don't serve faster-than-light particles" says the barman.
A Higgs' boson walks into a bar.

Good one.

[jaybee]

"We don't serve faster-than-light particles" says the barman.
A Higgs' boson walks into a bar.

that's pure class...!!!!