Science in Seconds - Higgs Boson

Science in Seconds Know Everything RUMOURS - Higgs Boson Rheanna Sand: A boson isn't as stupid as it sounds. It's one of many subatomic particles predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. Electrons, protons and neutrons are the most well known. But these are all considered fermions, or particles of matter. Bosons, on the other hand, are force carriers. The Standard Model says that forces like magnetism can be linked to a movement of force-carrying particles. And bosons are these particles. Four have been observed, including photons, the particles of light. But the Higgs boson is the last and most elusive. To understand what a Higgs boson is, you have to understand the Higgs field, the underlying lattice of the universe. David Miller, from University College of London, came up with this analogy. Imagine someone famous walking through a crowded party. Guests are attracted to her and form a cluster. As she moves about the room, she attracts more people and more momentum. This is what a Higgs field would do to a fermion to give it mass. And a Higgs boson would be a spontaneous cluster, like what would happen if a rumor were travelling across the room. Observing the Higgs particle would expand our knowledge of the universe to unimaginable ends. But there is one potential snag. The universe just might be on a trajectory in which no Higgs bosons will be discovered. Two researchers used quantum mechanical arguments and a few convenient assumptions to show that the deck might be stacked against us. Some describe it as sabotage and say that the Higgs boson will go to any length to prevent itself from being discovered. This would explain why every attempt so far has failed. The weirdest example? In November of 2009, a bird dropped a baguette on the Large Hadron Collider, causing it to overheat. The God particle sure does work in mysterious ways. Courtesy of Science in Seconds – All rights reserved Only for educational/non-profit purposes. (Translators are invited to put their name here)