Possible announcement of proof Higgs Boson exists

In summary, the Higgs Boson has been confirmed by the Large Hadron Collider. There is now speculation about what this means for the rest of modern physics.
  • #1
Jameson
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http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/07/higgs-boson-anticipation/

For some reason the Higgs Boson has become famous well beyond those interested in physics. There is a schedule press conference at 9am Geneva at the site of the Large Hadron Collider and it seems that the only discovery warranting this kind of excitement and unveiling would be the Higgs Boson.
 
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  • #2
Jameson said:
http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/07/higgs-boson-anticipation/

For some reason the Higgs Boson has become famous well beyond those interested in physics. There is a schedule press conference at 9am Geneva at the site of the Large Hadron Collider and it seems that the only discovery warranting this kind of excitement and unveiling would be the Higgs Boson.

For those of you who are awake right now, you can watch the Higgs Boson talk here:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/watch-live-higgs-talk/
 
  • #3
Aw, I missed a whole bunch...I actually woke up when you posted the link but decided to sleep in for another hour (Sleepy)
 
  • #4
I'm really excited to hear about this even though my understanding of it probably limits appreciating how amazing this actually is. It seems like so much of modern physics is mathematically derived, demonstrated or explained but isn't able to be tested in a laboratory somehow, so this experimental confirmation of this boson predicted in the 1960's shows that we still can test our theories and get results.

I don't know why exactly but I have had the feeling that the things we want to know are becoming increasingly more difficult or impossible currently to attempt to test so these ideas will remain theoretical. It's a good day for science!
 
  • #5
Jameson said:
It seems like so much of modern physics is mathematically derived, demonstrated or explained but isn't able to be tested in a laboratory somehow, so this experimental confirmation of this boson predicted in the 1960's shows that we still can test our theories and get results.
No!
There are so many analyses going on, testing theory predictions all the time. The LHC collaborations together published well over 100 papers with measurements, and as long as there were theory predictions, all agreed within the uncertainty.
There was one observation 3.5 standard deviations away from the expectation (delta ACP from the LHCb collaboration). However, this expectation was based on some hand-waving, as it is very hard to calculate it. The difference is not solved yet, but theorists are quite confident that the value can be explained within the standard model.

The Higgs boson is "just" another prediction which was confirmed. With the bonus of being a fundamental particle.
 
  • #6
Apparently the validity of the results has been confirmed now and it seems almost certain that they've discovered the Higgs Boson. Also read that plans for a larger hadron collider are in the works.
 
  • #7
Jameson said:
Apparently the validity of the results has been confirmed now and it seems almost certain that they've discovered the Higgs Boson. Also read that plans for a larger hadron collider are in the works.
Yes it has been confirmed. And a higher energy super-collider will be needed to fine tune the mass, but it's there.

Now all I need to do is to get rid of the idea that there have to be at least two different kinds. I keep mulling over that we also have to have a "Higgs fermion." Might be true, might be a demonstration of my swiss-cheese brain.

That or I need a few (Beer)s in me.

-Dan
 
  • #8
So it seems the LHC may have found two Higgs Bosons, whatever that means. This is so beyond my knowledge of physics but I find it very interesting nevertheless. Take a look here.
 
  • #9
Jameson said:
...This is so beyond my knowledge of physics but I find it very interesting nevertheless...

Same here.(Wink)

Very interesting stuff.:cool:
 

FAQ: Possible announcement of proof Higgs Boson exists

What is the Higgs Boson?

The Higgs Boson is a subatomic particle that was theorized to exist in order to explain the origin of mass in the universe. It is also known as the "God particle" and was first proposed by Peter Higgs in the 1960s.

Why is the announcement of proof of the Higgs Boson's existence important?

The Higgs Boson is important because its existence would confirm the validity of the Standard Model of particle physics, which is the current theory that explains the fundamental particles and forces in the universe. It would also provide a better understanding of the origin of mass in the universe.

How was the proof of the Higgs Boson's existence achieved?

The proof of the Higgs Boson's existence was achieved through the use of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a particle accelerator that allows scientists to study the behavior of particles at high energies. The LHC was used to create collisions between protons, and the resulting data was analyzed to identify the presence of the Higgs Boson.

What implications does the proof of the Higgs Boson's existence have?

If the proof of the Higgs Boson's existence is confirmed, it would be a major breakthrough in the field of particle physics and would provide a better understanding of the fundamental building blocks of the universe. It could also lead to new discoveries and advancements in technology.

What challenges did scientists face in proving the existence of the Higgs Boson?

One of the main challenges in proving the existence of the Higgs Boson was the extremely high energy required to create it, which could only be achieved through the use of the LHC. Additionally, the Higgs Boson is a very unstable particle and decays almost immediately after being created, making it difficult to detect. Scientists also had to sift through vast amounts of data to identify the signal of the Higgs Boson amidst other particle collisions.

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