Makes my brain explode, but apparently something may have been discovered in the hunt for the Higgs-Boson particle.

Scientists at the CERN research centre have found a new subatomic particle that could be the Higgs boson, the basic building block of the universe.

“I can confirm that a particle has been discovered that is consistent with the Higgs boson theory,” said John Womersley, chief executive of Britain’s Science & Technology Facilities Council, at an event in London.

Joe Incandela, spokesman for one of the two teams hunting for the Higgs particle told an audience at CERN near Geneva: “This is a preliminary result, but we think it’s very strong and very solid.”

– Reuters

– Guardian live blog

…and gratuitous Brian Cox photo:

*gazes wistfully to the sky*

I’m looking forward to this. His form in yesterdays stage was impressive having been a bit of a damp squib over the last 6-7mths.
Hope he breaks free today and solos to a stage win.

It was under my bed all the time. Sorry 😳

This really is very exciting. Apparently they’ve invited a bunch of the people involved in the development of the theory, including Peter Higgs, to the presentation, hence the excitement that they are going to announce something big.

This really is very exciting.

I’m cancelling my holiday.

<Brian Cox>
It’s really really amazzzzzing!
</Brian Cox>

I’ll be more impressed if they say they’ve found summer.

“I’m looking forward to this. His form in yesterdays stage was impressive having been a bit of a damp squib over the last 6-7mths.
Hope he breaks free today and solos to a stage win.”

+1 Got him in my dream team… however, he’ll be on leadout duties for Cav… it’s a flat bunch sprint day, today.

I’m cancelling my holiday.

Oh Darcy you’re such a pleb 😀

<Brian Cox>
I’m just like you. But realllllly clever.
<Brain Cox>

Webcast currently on CERN web site – http://webcast.web.cern.ch/webcast/play_higgs.html.

I’m sure a million million million will come into it somehow

Gratuitous Peter Higgs photo:

So does this mean we’ll finally be able to teleport?
…or make flying cars?
How about a hoverboard?

Reckon they’d higgs-boson me up a 19 year old Kelly Le Brock?

“So does this mean we’ll finally be able to teleport?
…or make flying cars?
How about a hoverboard?”

No, but a result of any kind will be a signpost for future research.

<geek>
If they’ve found Higgs it’s potentially massive.
</geek>

Gratuitous Peter Higgs photo:

Gratuitous response to gratuitous Peter Higgs photo:

If they’ve found Higgs it’s potentially massive

About 130GeV apparently. 🙂

So does this mean we’ll finally be able to teleport?
…or make flying cars?
How about a hoverboard?

No, just means they’ll want another billion trillion zillion euros for a new bigger betterer toy 😆

Better to seek the fundementals of physics than waste it on bank bailouts or war.

Still raining outside.

Yes, it reminds me of the announcement back in 1996 of the possibilty that fossilised martian life had been discovered in the ALH meteorite. I was working among a bunch of utter morons and they ether didn’t understand or care about it.

Gratuitous Brian Cox t-shirt

So interesting stuff but lots of questions remain – for me anyway maybe some of the physics bods on here will know more of the answers

So the Higgs isn’t a force carrier like photons and gluons. But it provide mass through something called the Higgs Field?

If its a field then how are the particles involved?

Do other particles interact more stongly or weakly with the Higgs Boson and is this what gives them different mass?

What about gravitons?

Better to seek the fundementals of physics than waste it on bank bailouts or war.

What has science ever done for us eh?

What about gravitons?

What about Graviton?

Better to seek the fundementals of physics than waste it on bank bailouts or war.

Phew…. good job nobody would use an advancement in the fundementals of physics for anything unsavoury like that eh?

😆

I had the honor of meeting Higgs at a meeting a few months ago. His presentation still consisted of hand written acetates! He eluded that the following months would be rather exciting, I guess they were!

Phew…. good job nobody would use an advancement in the fundementals of physics for anything unsavoury like that eh?

Good point. We’d be far better off if we were clubbing each other over the head with rocks and communicating by smearing own poo on cave walls*.

(* sometimes I think we get quite close)

😀

If there were such a thing as a Higgs Bomb I wonder if that really would become the Weapon Too Destructive To Use?

Good point. We’d be far better off if we were clubbing each other over the head with rocks and communicating by smearing own poo on cave walls*.

you’ve worked in a prison then? 😆

Does this latest discovery make the existence of Shatner’s Bassoon more probable?

Bank bailouts.. yeah what a waste of money, saving the global economy from collapse.. stupid.

[strokes chin]

Maybe it does Mr IanMunro, maybe it does…

[/strokes chin]

Saving the banks and saving the economy are two seperate issues.

Does this latest discovery make the existence of Shatner’s Bassoon more probable?

MMMMM Cake

I here Prof. John Terry made the announcement.

Saving the banks and saving the economy are two seperate issues.

Do you think the MP’s will ask Bob to explain the difference between the two later?

Anyway… about this bassoon. Will Brian Cox be playing it?