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

[Skwim]

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Gotta love our news sources. . . . . . . .or should that be "pity"?

 

[Gaura Priya]

I still wonder why the Higgs Boson particle has anything to do with religion in general, if at all, and how it has anything to do with teleportation, or even light speed travel! ;

As a (panen)theist myself, the discovery of this particle as the key to understanding the underlying substance of matter just seems quite beautiful, albeit slightly incredible, that such a small thing would be responsible for the creation of day-stars, galaxies and everything else.

I am quite stupid when it comes to science, but from what the articles in both the Province and the Vancouver Sun have taught me, I am sure that the discovery of this particle will lead to better understanding in other things such as dark matter.

 

[dust1n]

They really should have their stories fact-checked by a couple of particle physicists, especially the ones concerned with the actual particle itself.

 

[Chisti]

Could someone explain in simple words what Higgs boson is? What's all this excitement I see behind 'god particle'?

 

[Willamena]

They really should have their stories fact-checked by a couple of particle physicists, especially the ones concerned with the actual particle itself.

The don't use "fact checking" anymore. They have twitter now.

 

[Iti oj]

Could someone explain in simple words what Higgs boson is? What's all this excitement I see behind 'god particle'?

Subatomic particle that gives atoms mass as perdicted by standard model and the big deal well one it demonstrates we know whats going on two we built the particle accelarator. All of these articles. Are stupid.

 

[Iti oj]

Mass reduction higgs feild distruption maybe in 20.years but prob not we need another massive leap

 

[Chisti]

Subatomic particle that gives atoms mass as perdicted by standard model and the big deal well one it demonstrates we know whats going on two we built the particle accelarator. All of these articles. Are stupid.

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

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

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

No charge, no spin, a particular mass that I can't remember, and the ability for multiple particles to take up the same location in space.

The Wiki article also describes the Higgs boson as "the smallest possible excitation of the Higgs field"... the Higgs field being the thing theorized to permeate the universe that imparts mass on particles that interact with it.

Higgs boson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's my best explanation. I'm a bit out of my depth here. When I need to understand hardcore physics stuff, I usually ask Meow Mix.

 

[dust1n]

The don't use "fact checking" anymore. They have twitter now.

LOL. I'd frubal you again if I didn't have to spread the darn things.

Journalism is moving so fast (like expecting writer's to find a story, write the story, film the story, edit, fact check, and submit by themselves by 5 o' clock) that it seems like mistakes can be just so abound. There really isn't the strict 'objective' writer much anymore, the kind that I learned about in school.

 

[Erebus]

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]

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]

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".

 

[Erebus]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Erebus]

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

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