Peter Higgs, physicist who theorised Higgs boson, dies aged 94
Peter Higgs, physicist who theorised Higgs boson, dies aged 94
The renowned scientist won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2013.
Surely one of the most massive names in modern physics. RIP.
massive
I’m so happy he lived to see the discovery of the particle and the confirmation of his theory
It’s really quite astonishing.
Speaks to how quickly technology can advance over one’s lifetime and how much of a pioneer scientists are.
I still have no clue what the Higg boson is or what it does. Something to do with gravity, probably?
No. There are two types of particles. Particles that go at light speed and particles that don't.
The particles that don't go at light speed don't do this because they have rest mass. The particles that do go at light speed do so because they have no rest mass. They are massless.
Now what makes massless and massful particles different? This is where the Higgs Boson comes in. There is a field called the Higgs field, which is made by the Higgs Boson.
Particles that interact with the Higgs field are massful. Particles that don't are massless. They thus can go at the speed of light.
For example, photons (that make light) do not interact with the Higgs Field. Hence, they go at light speed. Electrons however do interact with the Higgs field. They thus have rest mass. They thus do not go at light speed.
The Large Hadron Collider verified the existence of the Higgs boson. This is what the "god particle" stories were about in the past decade.
He fixed the standard model of particle physics. He was also the reason why this was built to prove his theory.
Godspeed, I hope you get to meet your particle.
I studied his work over 20 years ago. I had no idea he was alive at the time. I just figured he long gone like all the other pioneers.
I just got my master's in physics, I also just assumed he was long dead.
Ok, now who will inherit all those bosons?