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Higgs Boson 'God' particle discovered


Saru

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Then they keep on looking.

Not sure if that would be the case. They would probably spend some time verifying the results and tweaking the model, just to be sure. If nothing comes of that, then finding that boson at ~125GeV that is not predicted by the model would indicate there's something definitely wrong with it. They'd start focusing more of their energy on alternate models. Like the article says, it's not a bad thing if it's not Higgs. Our knowledge and wisdom increases from successes and failures.

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Not sure if that would be the case. They would probably spend some time verifying the results and tweaking the model, just to be sure. If nothing comes of that, then finding that boson at ~125GeV that is not predicted by the model would indicate there's something definitely wrong with it. They'd start focusing more of their energy on alternate models. Like the article says, it's not a bad thing if it's not Higgs. Our knowledge and wisdom increases from successes and failures.

I did not say it was bad, I just said that it will not stop science.

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There's not enough data to determine if the test reveals a Higgs. So my guess is as good as anyone else's.

It seems the scientists that understand it more are a bit more confident than you are ... A lot of people will hope it is not the Higgs particle as it would conflict with their own beliefs The quest itself was never set to disprove any beliefs..but to help our own understanding of the universe

Reading a little more in the paper... Back in the year 2000 professor Stephen Hawking made a bet with a man called Gordon Kane of the university of Michigan, that the Higgs particle would never be found....he now admits he will have to pay up the $100 bet !

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It seems the scientists that understand it more are a bit more confident than you are ... A lot of people will hope it is not the Higgs particle as it would conflict with their own beliefs The quest itself was never set to disprove any beliefs..but to help our own understanding of the universe

Reading a little more in the paper... Back in the year 2000 professor Stephen Hawking made a bet with a man called Gordon Kane of the university of Michigan, that the Higgs particle would never be found....he now admits he will have to pay up the $100 bet !

Did Hawkings admit to losing the bet himself? I haven't seen that.

I don't know if they've found it or not, nor do I have a horse in that race. I just quoted their numbers being 95% certainty before spin data came in. The matters of spin, parity and helicity have to be determined (all those factors are related though). They are saying they will not have an answer until the end of the year. The scary thing is the choices they gave: 0 or 2 spin. "2" discards any of the 5 theoretical forms of Higgs under supersymmetry. I admit, I don't know what are the odds for each spin choice being right. I either am or am not the President of the US but the chances are not 50-50.

Even if it's not Higgs, that's not bad. Discovering a new particle at ~125GeV is monumental and exciting either way. It will help us get better models either way.

Edited by ranrod
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Ok. I think I'm starting to understand it more. Well at least understand what it means when they say it has to do with mass. Can someone tell me if my metaphor on the aspect this discovery having to do with mass?

I think about object that have very little mass. For example a small fuzzy bird feather. You know how theyre very hard to catch. In fact it's a folklore that it's good luck if you catch one that's floating through the air. Try to close your hand around one and the sleight air movement causes it to move away because it has so little mass to it. This, in my mind anyway, demonstrates that without mass "thingse" wouldn't come together to form "things". I quoted the word "things" because without mass there'd be nothing right?

Of course catching an object with more mass such as a ball is simple. Because its mass is effected by gravity.

So in a nutshell the Higgs boson is a particle that serves the function of basically allowing "things" to form together and create mass. Without it "things" would avoid each other. Never attach together. I'm still unclear about if they'd bounce apart or pass through each other. But from what I gather they wouldn't form together without this particle.

Am I getting close to understanding with this very simplified metaphor?

Edited by Magicjax
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Ok. I think I'm starting to understand it more. Well at least understand what it means when they say it has to do with mass. Can someone tell me if my metaphor on the aspect this discovery having to do with mass?

I think about object that have very little mass. For example a small fuzzy bird feather. You know how theyre very hard to catch. In fact it's a folklore that it's good luck if you catch one that's floating through the air. Try to close your hand around one and the sleight air movement causes it to move away because it has so little mass to it. This, in my mind anyway, demonstrates that without mass "thingse" wouldn't come together to form "things". I quoted the word "things" because without mass there'd be nothing right?

Of course catching an object with more mass such as a ball is simple. Because its mass is effected by gravity.

So in a nutshell the Higgs boson is a particle that serves the function of basically allowing "things" to form together and create mass. Without it "things" would avoid each other. Never attach together. I'm still unclear about if they'd bounce apart or pass through each other. But from what I gather they wouldn't form together without this particle.

Am I getting close to understanding with this very simplified metaphor?

you came quite close, and for a rudimentary understanding it would be quite sufficient. The reality is that even if we found the particle and therefore now know how mass is created we still don't know how that happens, maybe by breaking a symmetrical balance, maybe by something else. There is still lots to learn.

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Ok. I think I'm starting to understand it more. Well at least understand what it means when they say it has to do with mass. Can someone tell me if my metaphor on the aspect this discovery having to do with mass?

I think about object that have very little mass. For example a small fuzzy bird feather. You know how theyre very hard to catch. In fact it's a folklore that it's good luck if you catch one that's floating through the air. Try to close your hand around one and the sleight air movement causes it to move away because it has so little mass to it. This, in my mind anyway, demonstrates that without mass "thingse" wouldn't come together to form "things". I quoted the word "things" because without mass there'd be nothing right?

Of course catching an object with more mass such as a ball is simple. Because its mass is effected by gravity.

So in a nutshell the Higgs boson is a particle that serves the function of basically allowing "things" to form together and create mass. Without it "things" would avoid each other. Never attach together. I'm still unclear about if they'd bounce apart or pass through each other. But from what I gather they wouldn't form together without this particle.

Am I getting close to understanding with this very simplified metaphor?

I would say you are close. Things with no mass, such as light pass through each other. Without mass there would just be interference patterns in space - all sorts of radiation going through each other. Interaction with the Higgs field gives some things their mass. It hasn't been determined if all mass comes from interactions with the higgs field. It's not necessarily things coming together either. A gamma ray, for instance, has no mass but can split into an electron and a positron, both massive particles. I like the wikipedia analogy: "The field can be pictured as a pool of molasses that "sticks" to the otherwise massless fundamental particles that travel through the field, converting them into particles with mass that form (for example) the components of atoms".

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Did Hawkings admit to losing the bet himself? I haven't seen that.

I read it in the Independent news paper... but I also looked it up for you on line to show you... ( cuz I am that kind lol )

Stephen Hawking looses bet .... Click this --> http://www.inquisitr.com/269906/stephen-hawking-loses-100-bet-over-higgs-boson-discovery-video/

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I read it in the Independent news paper... but I also looked it up for you on line to show you... ( cuz I am that kind lol )

Stephen Hawking looses bet .... Click this --> http://www.inquisitr...iscovery-video/

Awesome! Thanks for that. :tu: It's very nice of Mr. Hawking to concede before conclusive results. If it proves not to be Higgs, he can always get his money back ;)

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Awesome! Thanks for that. :tu: It's very nice of Mr. Hawking to concede before conclusive results. If it proves not to be Higgs, he can always get his money back

I think it is safe to say he understands it more than any of us.. :tu:

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Thanks Sepul.

Didnt understand all. I will try to read about some of it. To be true to you I have been only interested in physics last few years. I was drawn by hairy ball theory. And with fine tunes in our universe.

Which 5 mysteries of physics you find most puzzling from example this list. Or you have another list. I prefer your list but right now this is only list I have. :) Probaby arrow of time is one to you.

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

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The scary thing is the choices they gave: 0 or 2 spin. "2" discards any of the 5 theoretical forms of Higgs under supersymmetry.

What I find the most crazy is that any most current theories suggest that a massless spin-2 particle must be the graviton.

We don't even have a working theory of a graviton (we know it must be massless and spin-2 from other considerations), and if this ``Higgs candidate'' turns out to be a spin-2 boson... things will get pretty exciting.

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That's what "discover" means! One cannot discover something that doesn't exist!

it was just lost
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Is the 'God particle' an impostor? Scientists claim signal found in Large Hadron Collider may not be Higgs after all

http://www.dailymail...-Higgs-all.html

that's because the title of this thread is misleading and no one at the conference ever confirmed finding the Higgs .... they need more time .

Journalism :rolleyes:

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I've been following the LHC progress for years, i remember how excited i was when it first became operational and the possibilities of what could be found. Saying that, whenever i tried to explain to someone how utterly amazing and revolutionary this machine was people just didn't seem to give a ****. Now in 2012, they have found a particle that they "believe may be the Higgs Boson" and every other jackass out there is spamming that they found the "god particle" and how amazing it is(including several i tried to explain this to years ago). **** you all. this must be what a hipster feels like. :td:

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This will open up a whole lot more questions.

Agreed, when the cell was discovered, the technology was insufficient to realize that the cell was composed of many smaller organelles and was much more complex than just a little blob of jelly. When the atoms that compose the elements were postulated, and then discovered, they were not found to be homogenous particles, they were composed of electrons, neutrons and protons and for a while that was assumed to be the limit of the composition of matter. But with ever increasing technology we are able to see deeper and deeper into the world of the extremely small. I know little about particle physics, however, it would not be surprising to find these subatomic particles are composed of yet still smaller particles, but at what point technology will be incapable of seeing or detecting the infinitely small remains to be seen. Perhaps this missing piece of the subatomic puzzle with lead to a unified field theory, one of the "holy grails" of physics.

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