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Has it been found?

http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2012/PR17.12E.html
Here's the official press release for you guys.

I personally think it has been found. I just watched the 2-hour conference, and it was absolutely historical.

Discuss.

Not good enough.

It's preliminary data and it's probably good. But it's not good enough yet to be conclusive.

We'll see if it's definitive in a few months. We just have to be patient. But promising lead is promising.

Not good enough.

It's preliminary data and it's probably good. But it's not good enough yet to be conclusive.

We'll see if it's definitive in a few months. We just have to be patient. But promising lead is promising.

Well the data is conclusive, at five-sigma. It's the identification of it which is not yet solid!

It would be just as interesting if it was the Higgs as if it was something else unexpected, though. (But I'm sure Peter Higgs is having a pretty good day, all around.)

Whether it is the Higgs or not, it represents a solid step forward in understanding the nature of the universe!

It's interesting but they need more than 5 sigma precision to state the existence of a particle.

Personally, I hope it's not the Higgs. We need something new in physics. Just a tiny glimpse beyond the standard model would be much appreciated. But I think that's it and yeah... we found it. Now what?

It's interesting but they need more than 5 sigma precision to state the existence of a particle.

Personally, I hope it's not the Higgs. We need something new in physics. Just a tiny glimpse beyond the standard model would be much appreciated. But I think that's it and yeah... we found it. Now what?

Well there are a number of theories which are contingent upon the Standard Model being either correct, or incorrect... So evidence of the Higgs can definitely help to suggest some of those are more or less likely, depending on which side they fall on.

Yes it'd be more exciting in many ways if the Standard Model was overturned, but progress is still progress, and there's still plenty of unknowns left.

... I just really wish people would stop calling it the 'god particle'... I really, really do...

It's interesting but they need more than 5 sigma precision to state the existence of a particle.

Personally, I hope it's not the Higgs. We need something new in physics. Just a tiny glimpse beyond the standard model would be much appreciated. But I think that's it and yeah... we found it. Now what?

Prove string theory.

07/04/2012 11:09 PMPosted by OrangeJuice

Prove string theory.

Can't be done with the LHC. It's way too small. To probe at the energy level where string theory is different from the standard model, you need a particle accelerator about the size of the galaxy.

I don't believe in string theory anyway.

07/04/2012 11:09 PMPosted by OrangeJuice

Prove string theory.

Exactly. The standard model has NOTHING that explains the nature of gravity. String theory says that gravity is mediated by gravitons, or gravitational force carrier particles, like photons.

Another flaw in the Standard Model deals with particle collisions. If particles are, in fact, 0-dimensional point-particles, then when they collide, the distance between them becomes 0. This is a problem, because this leads to infinities. For example, gravitational force is determined by (mass1+mass2)/distance. If distance is equal to 0, then the accelaration resulting from gravity becomes infinate (dividing by 0).

String Theory deals with this by saying that particles are 1-dimensional strings or 2-dimensional membranes. Bosons, such as Photons, Gravitons, and Higgs are open-ended strings. Fermions, such as quarks and leptons, are closed-loop strings, or membranes. The way the strings vibrate determine their properties. Stings also have tension, A LOT OF TENSION.

String theory solves the point-particle problem by smearing out particles into membranes and strings. So now, when particles collide, they simply merge into one string without any infinities whatsoever.

String theory also has room for gravitons, therefore uniting the quantum physics with general relativity. It is regarded as the holy grail of science, if only it wasnt so hard to prove.

The problem with proving string theory is that strings are the smallest thing permissable by the universe, and in order to observe details, you have to probe it with something smaller. If only we could use the very fabric of spacetime as a probe...

The discovery of the Higgs Boson points us in the right direction, now we just have to keep going that way.

Can't be done with the LHC. It's way too small. To probe at the energy level where string theory is different from the standard model, you need a particle accelerator about the size of the galaxy.

I don't believe in string theory anyway.

According to what I have heard, particle accelarators probe things by giving energy to tiny probe particles and launching them. The problem is, the more energy you give the particles, sooner or later, they will start sucking it up and GET BIGGER, making it harder to probe!

Again, we need something that can use the very fabric of spacetime as a probe. That would be awesome.

The protoss have lots of probes, maybe you can ask them.

07/04/2012 08:09 PMPosted by Hylozoist

... I just really wish people would stop calling it the 'god particle'... I really, really do...

I agree so much wth thist, it's jarring.

07/04/2012 08:09 PMPosted by Hylozoist

... I just really wish people would stop calling it the 'god particle'... I really, really do...

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

It's more appropriate to call it the 'Godot Particle'...
because we've been waiting so long for it.

Well, it seems the Higgs decays twice as fast as expected. Which is good news. It might be a signature of a coupling of the Higgs to the top quark super partner. Which means supersymmetry might actually be a thing.

It's an exciting news but it's not definitive.

We can still have a beer for that!

Or because it's saturday.

Or any other day of the week.

Don't judge me.

Prove string theory.

Can't be done with the LHC. It's way too small. To probe at the energy level where string theory is different from the standard model, you need a particle accelerator about the size of the galaxy.

I don't believe in string theory anyway.

Pft, not the galaxy. I heard size of the solar system. Much more manageable =) Though...I do not know any races in any science fiction that can construct something much bigger than a planet.

And then, when you least expect it...

The green pigs discover the Piggs Boson.

The Higgs Boson, or the "God Particle" is not currently found. But they're close, they estimate that they will find it within 12 years, which is not to bad considering they've been looking since the early 80s.

10/19/2012 06:51 PMPosted by Duke

The Higgs Boson, or the "God Particle" is not currently found. But they're close, they estimate that they will find it within 12 years, which is not to bad considering they've been looking since the early 80s.

Stop calling it the god particle.

That name is just ridiculous.

The boson which has been found with confidence nearly at 6 sigma which is consistent with the Higgs Boson. It's not conclusively the Higgs, but it's very likely it is.