I have a layman’s curiosity of things scientific (when I’m not dwelling on things economic), thanks mostly to Mrs. Econophile who follows current science. When I think about the quantum world my head spins as I’m not able to reconcile things such as different dimensions and the fact that one thing can be in two places at once. But the process of trying to explain the cosmos and existence fascinates and inspires me, though I struggle to understand it. Like the Higgs Boson, once I think I understand it, it’s gone.
So, it never occurred to me why particle have mass. But theorists have been contemplating that topic for quite some time. Apparently they may have discovered this elusive particle which they theorized must exist. That particle, Higgs Boson, was discovered by CERN. This is monumental, bringing us closer to understanding the nature of existence. Is there any limit to man’s mind?
This today from Bloomberg:
Scientists seeking to explain the origins of matter discovered a particle that may support a decades-old theory of physics, bringing people closer to understanding unseen parts of the universe.
The observed particle is the heaviest boson ever found, said Joe Incandela, spokesman for one of the experiments at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, at a seminar today at its Geneva headquarters. Scientists stopped short of claiming the particle is the elusive Higgs boson, a theoretical particle that could explain where mass comes from.
“As a layman, I think I would say ‘we have it,’” said Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director of CERN, at a press conference in Geneva. It will take at least three to four years of research to fully understand the properties of the observed particle, Heuer said.
The announcement brings humankind closer to answering a millennia-old question that the ancient Greeks wrestled with: what is matter made of? The particle is a key to the Standard Model, a theory explaining how the universe is built, and its existence would help scientists gain a better understanding of how galaxies hold together. It also could open a door to exploring other parts of physics such as superparticles or dark matter that telescopes can’t detect.
Go here for the full story.
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[...] also like Jeff Harding’s post here, a layman’s curiosity would be another good parallel. Share this:Facebook July 4th, 2012 | [...]
Surely, this is yet another effort that would have produced results much sooner if we had only listened to Ayn Rand and not taxed the job creators to fund such research efforts.
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