The Higgs Boson as reported by the Ignorant, Silly, Stupid, and Crazy

[Shyanekh]

As far as I can tell the idea that the particle's discovery is a blow to religion is due to the nickname of "the god particle". To the monumentally stupid observer the idea of a "god" particle being found by scientists can only mean science has beaten religion. The faster than light travel etc seems more a case of sensationalism combined with wishful thinking.
To be honest it seems to me that most newspapers and articles nowadays are only good for toilet roll or finding topics of idle conversation with a hairdresser or taxi driver

[Iti oj]

Originally Posted by Chisti

So this Higgs boson is a particle, just like electron? What are its properties?

Yeah but way smaller more like a quark of gluon. It has mass and it appears to behave stably

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Shyanekh

As far as I can tell the idea that the particle's discovery is a blow to religion is due to the nickname of "the god particle". To the monumentally stupid observer the idea of a "god" particle being found by scientists can only mean science has beaten religion.

AFAIK, the only reason it was ever called the "God Particle" at all was an idea that it was considered really important. They could've as easily called it the "King Particle" or the "Keystone Particle".

[Shyanekh]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

AFAIK, the only reason it was ever called the "God Particle" at all was an idea that it was considered really important. They could've as easily called it the "King Particle" or the "Keystone Particle".

Absolutely. Unfortunately that little nugget isn't too important for the people who want a dramatic sounding story (because the discovery evidently isn't significant enough if it doesn't topple a portion of civilisation )

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by Shyanekh

As far as I can tell the idea that the particle's discovery is a blow to religion is due to the nickname of "the god particle". To the monumentally stupid observer the idea of a "god" particle being found by scientists can only mean science has beaten religion. The faster than light travel etc seems more a case of sensationalism combined with wishful thinking.
To be honest it seems to me that most newspapers and articles nowadays are only good for toilet roll or finding topics of idle conversation with a hairdresser or taxi driver

I thought it was spun in the media the other way. That discovering the Higgs-Boson particle is evidence for the existence of God.

[s2a]

Originally Posted by Darkness

I thought it was spun in the media the other way. That discovering the Higgs-Boson particle is evidence for the existence of God.

It's neither.

Science is not in the "business" of performing experiments that can never be subject to any methodology of disproof.

All that science and the experimentation process of testing reasonable hypothesis/theories (which offer a predictive find/discovery...in "theory") can ever offer as evidence, is substantiated proof that no supernatural cause/effect explanation is needed to supplement as blank substitute of any remaining "unexplained" observable phenomena, or predicatively extrapolated conclusion.

The discovery and evidence of the Higgs boson only lends further credence to the notion that supernatural (ie, outside of natural laws) cause/effect claims are no longer relevant as prospective disclaimer to the honesty that scientific inquiry is often left to concede in saying... "We don't know". Once something is "known" as evidential fact, it's one less thing that any claimed deity of the"gaps" is left to answer for...

[apophenia]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

AFAIK, the only reason it was ever called the "God Particle" at all was an idea that it was considered really important. They could've as easily called it the "King Particle" or the "Keystone Particle".

Actually, scientists originally referred to it as the 'god damned particle' (probably because it was as elusive as it was crucial). Either 'God Particle' was way sexier to journalists, or the phrase was cleaned up to remove cussing.

[Shyanekh]

Originally Posted by Darkness

I thought it was spun in the media the other way. That discovering the Higgs-Boson particle is evidence for the existence of God.

It probably depends where you live to be honest, trying to claim it as proof of God is just as dim though

Originally Posted by apophenia

Actually, scientists originally referred to it as the 'god damned particle' (probably because it was as elusive as it was crucial). Either 'God Particle' was way sexier to journalists, or the phrase was cleaned up to remove cussing.

Really? I much prefer that nickname in all honesty

[Sir Doom]

Particle Physics: Why is the Higgs boson called the "God particle"? - Quora

From the horse's mouth