Since everyone else seems to be posting about a Higgs boson rumour, I decided that I’d better get the 408 blog in on the action.
Although no one in room 408 has anything to do with particular physics these days, I have a lot at stake when it comes to the Higgs boson.
We have a table drawn onto one of the 408 whiteboards; on this table we get people to mark down their beliefs in various physicsy stuff. One of the columns in this table is for the Higgs boson. Yes/No. I am one of the few people who (bravely) marked myself down as ‘No’. We take these sorts of things pretty seriously in room 408…
On top of that, sometimes when I’m getting talkative (when I’ve had a few drinks or something) I start to talk about how the Higgs boson is just an example of physicists becoming obsessed with aesthetics instead of focusing on evidence. Particle physicists generally assume that the Higgs boson exists, and that it’s just a matter of time before it is found. But the only reason anyone believes in it at all is that it’s a neat way to fill some gaps in the theory. I agree that it’s neat, but that doesn’t mean that it’s real. No one said that rules of the universe had to be simple*. Believers in the Higgs have been expecting to see it for a long time now. People keep building bigger and more powerful accelerators with the hope of reaching high enough energies to see the Higgs boson. Meanwhile, it seems to me that theorists keep making up excuses for why it might be just a little bit heavier than was previously expected (“this time for sure!”)
Supersymmetry is like this as well, but even worse.
So if that Higgs thing is found, it could be potentially embarrassing for me, as I will have to re-explain my position to everyone I know… colleagues, friends, family, random people on the street who have asked me about the Higgs boson…
Nar — I’m just kidding. It’s really not a big deal. But I am interested in whether it really does exist or not. I’m also interested in other people’s thoughts on the Higgs boson. So if there is anyone who still reads this blogs, please comment.
(* Actually.. a lot of people have probably said this at some point or other. What I mean is that it hasn’t been proven; but that doesn’t sound as good.)
June 6, 2007 at 12:45 pm |
I still read this blogs. Should I bother coming to uni this week?
June 6, 2007 at 12:48 pm |
I was wondering if you were back yet…
I’d say don’t bother, unless you’ve got stuff you want to get done, or you’re feeling lonely or something. You’re about to go on another big adventure soon anyway, right?
June 6, 2007 at 1:17 pm |
Ash, if you come back to the office I’ll challenge you to a game of Settlers of Catan. But let me know because it’s been at home and I’ll have to bring it in.
I feel I should say something about the Higgs boson too, considering this is subject of the original post. On the whiteboard with the guesses, I guessed that it would exist – if only on the basis of how many m(b)illions of dollars scientists have invested in various accelerators over the years. But really I know very little about it.
June 7, 2007 at 12:57 am |
I’d vote no as well. I mean, one (or more) particles to explain the origin of the masses of the other elementary particles? Always sounded too good to be true to me. Of course I’m totally unqualified to make this judgement, cus I’m not a physicists, I just play one on the intertubes.
June 7, 2007 at 12:58 am |
Err that should be physicist, singular, as I certainly am not multiple people, at least not today.