They Found the Higgs Boson!!!

[Magtig]

Major science news! (http://io9.com/5923494/what-todays-higgs-boson-discovery-really-means)

I'm not entirely sure of all the implications, but here are a few articles I've read.

Top Five Implications of Finding the Higgs (http://www.livescience.com/17433-implications-higgs-boson-discovery-lhc.html) (although, I'm not sure the one about having a low mass applies, because it was found as having a large mass)

What is the Higgs?
http://youtu.be/WUnDsNL_5nk

[Mantra]

I was talking with a bunch of people earlier today and they were all incredibly thrilled about this, even though no one (including me) had the faintest clue about what a higgs boson even is.

[liquidcalm]

well, its the first new particle we've found in a decade, it goes a long way to prove the Standard Model is correct and... and.. they are all really smart.
Yeah, I don't quite understand it, but I think of it more as an achievement that we can pursue a quest to find out how the world around us is built to such a level we are starting to observe the very things that make us, and everything else, the way we are, at an atomic level. Thats crazy yo. Whats more is there is now the push to figure out what exactly the 'Boson like' particle does and why.

[orestes]

It's going to be really interesting once data results start coming out towards the end of the month from LHCB.

[RocketScience]

I've been nerdgasming all over this ever since I found out about it this morning.

[Torgo]

Ugh... if only they had used any other font besides Comic Sans to announce it's existence... (http://bit.ly/MJcvv0)

[DF118]

I was talking with a bunch of people earlier today and they were all incredibly thrilled about this, even though no one (including me) had the faintest clue about what a higgs boson even is.

It's a particle that makes up the Higgs Field, that is the field through which particles get mass (hence it being known as the God Particle). It's also very important as it corroborates a lot of stuff we know about quantum physics- which has implications on everything from how the universe works to how it started.

[orestes]

Ugh... if only they had used any other font besides Comic Sans to announce it's existence... (http://bit.ly/MJcvv0)

Per twitter: "@gedeon: When you discover one of the elementary particles of the physical universe, you get to use whatever font you want, for life."

[DF118]

Per twitter: "@gedeon: When you discover one of the elementary particles of the physical universe, you get to use whatever font you want, for life."

Exactly, it's a bit silly that people are laughing about a font, when this is one of the biggest scientific discoveries of all fucking time. Who cares.

[Fixer808]

Meh, I just think it's a bit of fun, doesn't really take away from the magnitude of the discovery!

[marodi]

It's great news!... I think? I don't understand much about it though. My lack of understanding is explained by different factors: 1) I never took science in school (I'm a French Litt graduate; meh!) 2) While I do find this stuff interesting, my lack of background about it is taking away a lot of enjoyment and 3) I'm stoopid.

This is where I sorely miss mr TimA. He was so great at explaining these things to stoopid people like me back on Old ETS... :(

[THE JOHNNY ROOK]

So a monkey found this? I will text Adam to let him know Eve is on a date with yours truly.

[owinn]

Higgs Boson is, like, a member of some european dance act...


http://youtu.be/m3-4Ez7Kc-o

[Magtig]

This helps explain the Higgs, and in a very short amount of time: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2012/07/one-minute-physics-why-the-higgs-is-the-missing-link.html

[THE JOHNNY ROOK]

This helps explain the Higgs, and in a very short amount of time: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/nstv/2012/07/one-minute-physics-why-the-higgs-is-the-missing-link.html

No, this does...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM

[Baphomette]

It's great news!... I think? I don't understand much about it though.

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/521943_202985853161535_4409697_n.jpg

[orestes]

Another gem from twitter: "@JamesUrbaniak girl you must be the higgs boson 'cause I'm observing something amazing"

[Chaotix]

Have to say it's a bit irritating how much media has made the jump from CERN's original, very careful statement that they discovered a new particle that resembles the Higgs Boson and that more study needed to be performed to "AMGERD THEY DISCOVERED THE HIGGS BOSON!". CERN intentionally stopped short of actually confirming they found it for sure, but apparently most of the media missed the memo.

Not that it isn't exciting or anything, but it'll suck for them if it turns out not to be the Higgs Boson; I can imagine so well the backlash they'll receive from the media over a confirmation announcement they never actually made.

[think i'm a fire engine]

ERMG HERGZ BERZERN.

I actually don't think it's as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be. Sure, it's exciting, but they've been looking for it for a long time, and if it actually turns out to be the Higgs Bossom particle that they found, it'll only confirm a small portion of a widely successful theory that has been around since the 70s.

[danebraddy]

Have to say it's a bit irritating how much media has made the jump from CERN's original, very careful statement that they discovered a new particle that resembles the Higgs Boson and that more study needed to be performed to "AMGERD THEY DISCOVERED THE HIGGS BOSON!". CERN intentionally stopped short of actually confirming they found it for sure, but apparently most of the media missed the memo.

"As a layman, I think we have it. But as a scientist, I have to say, 'What do we have?'"

Scientests are the worst PR, as they deal the business of doubt and evidence. They will spend the next months/years trying to prove it wrong.
But, to the everyday person and what we would call 'proof' and 'fact' - they found it.

[Elke]

If we have to be that careful about believing scientific findings, then you'd basically have to teach half of every beta science course and most of every alfa and gamma science course with the disclaimer 'This is just what we think, folks, but there's no such thing as absolute certainty'. Apparently the odds that it's not the Higgs boson are 1 in 2 million, so I'd say they're still better off than anything to do with dinosaurs.

[Blackbookpress1984]

Interesting thread. However all I can think about after reading it is Tom Hanks and Angels and Demons. (face plam)

[DF118]

I've got a question.

The Higgs Boson makes up the Higgs Field, and as particles are created they pass through this field and develop mass.

Cool. But then what gives the Higgs Boson mass in the first place?

...?

Eh.

[Alexandros]

But then what gives the Higgs Boson mass in the first place?

Well, the Higgs Field I suppose. A sort of self-interaction if you would. I'm extremely hazy on my elementary particle physics, but I think that it is possible. Sort of. And there you have your scientific answer!

[DF118]

Well, the Higgs Field I suppose. A sort of self-interaction if you would. I'm extremely hazy on my elementary particle physics, but I think that it is possible. Sort of. And there you have your scientific answer!

Okay, so the Higgs Boson allows other Higgs Bosons to get mass.

So what gave Mass to the first ever Higgs Boson?

????

I MUST KNOW.

[Alexandros]

So what gave Mass to the first ever Higgs Boson?

????

I MUST KNOW.

I don't know, damn you, stop pushing meeeee! *sob*

EDIT: But seriously, I think the Higgs field is a separate thing from the boson. It's just that the boson is the field's mediator. Meaning that the field probably existed first.

[Elke]

There's a bit on how it might work here (http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/cern/ideas/higgs.html) (and I still love the 'big Hollywood star at a party' analogy).