Physicists find ‘God Particle’

Peter Higgs, a Scottish physicist from Edinburgh University proposed how the universe came about and why we have mass. He believed that an “invisible field strewn across space gave mass to atoms, the building blocks of the universe.” Although both an academic journal and scientists rejected his paper, physicists around the world continued to search for the elusive ‘Higgs Boson.’

Forty-eight years later, Peter Higgs was invited to the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) laboratory to witness the uncovering of how the universe began using the world’s most sophisticated and most expensive, $10-billion, super-sized particle accelerator, or Large Hadron Collider.

The Large Hadron Collider helped scientists discover that smallest-known particle considered to be the fundamental building block of the universe.

The ‘Higgs Boson’ is considered the missing cornerstone of the ‘Standard Model’ of physics that explains how the universe was formed. It helps explain why matter has mass, which binds together to form stars and planets.

Peter Higgs’s radical theory was proven correct.

“I am astounded at the amazing speed with which these results have emerged. They are a testament to the expertise of the researchers and the elaborate technologies in place. I never expected this to happen in my lifetime and shall be asking my family to put some champagne in the fridge,” he enthused.

Higgs gave credit to scientists and researches involved in the study.

For the 150 Canadian scientists, it is a huge success story. Canadian scientists formed a huge part of an international network that helped discover the Higgs Boson. Two decades ago they joined the quest for the elusive boson and helped build the CERN particle detector.

Physicist Isabel Trigger of the TRIUMF physics lab and leader of the Canadian scientists said: “All of these people have spent 20 years of their lives building something which now has found the particle we were looking for. If it’s not the Higgs boson, is sure looks like the Higgs boson.” She added, with this discovery, Canada is at the leading edge of physics research.

Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Higgs deserved a Nobel Prize for his work.

What do you think? How significant is the discovery of the “God Particle”? Let us know in the comments.

Article Topics

CERN  |  Collider  |  God  |  God Particle  |  Hawking  |  Higgs Boson  |  Large Hadron Collider  |  Particle  |  Physics  |  Standard Model  |  Stephen Hawking  |  Theory