The Higgs particle in physics is called the God particle because it give matter its constituent property, the mass. Now, Jenny Hogen reports for Nature (17.1.2007) about the race between the U.S. Fermilab near Chicago and the forthcoming European particle smasher LHC at Cern in Switzerland. It is assumed that Cern will find the Higgs particle -- if it exists. But new research at the Fermilab showed that detecting Higgs could also in reach of the U.S. facility. Hence, Fermilab is pulling out all the stops to make it first for the Higgs particle. The winner will receive a Nobel award for sure.
Race for the God Particle
1 comment
13. Dec 2007, 20:05 by hasanuddin
The last sentence of this paragraph points to the main problem with physics today: "The winner will receive the Nobel award for sure." The very fact that such a statement is made underscores the current blindness that drives the exploration for the Higgs/God-particle. The is a new hypothesis, the Dominium, that points toward a new explanation for almost all observable phenomena within the visible Universe that currently are considered "anomalous" and excluded from discussion, e.g., the driving force of the solar wind, the reason why formation of the supermassive galactic black-hole essentially halted, etc. If this new hypothesis is correct, then the folly of the current "race" could be shown in the form of doom. It's time that the quest for the Nobel be forgotten, and that we all take a deep breath and reconsider things for a moment.