The Higgs Particle has been dubbed the 'God Particle'. From what I have come to understand the Higgs Particle is a particle that, for the moment, exists only in theory. It is the 'invisible' or unseen particle that gives every piece of matter its mass. So, essentially, it is what makes every piece of matter tangible.
Large Hadron Collider seeks to uncover this particular particle. Which, I'm more than eager to hear their findings on. I'm nerdy enough to want nothing more in life than a front row seat to the mini-Big Bang going on in underground.
All the same... why do they consider this particle the 'God Particle'? Do any of you feel that the proof of the Higgs Particle will disprove the belief that God created the world?
(I myself have other beliefs. The theory that a high power created the big bang and evolution played it's hand from then on.)
Well, you have the basics.
The hypothesis is that there is a field - the Higgs Field, through which everything moves and which gives some particles their mass by interaction with the field. Obviously photons travel through the field with no interaction and are hence massless.
In quantum physics any field can be 'quantised' down to an individual particle - hence finding the Higgs Boson would provide evidence for the Higgs Field.
It's not called the 'God' particle for any reasons to do with God. It is short for 'that goddamn particle' because it has proven so elusive.*
* The name comes from a book by Leon Lederman "The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?". Lederman (according to Higgs himself) originally wanted to call it 'That Goddamn particle' but the publishers refused and it was retitled 'The God Particle'.
| jsk02a wrote: |
| (I myself have other beliefs. The theory that a high power created the big bang and evolution played it's hand from then on.) |
Hi jsk02a - It's very hard to come up with ways of working out why the big bang occurred. But why have a theory that produces a bigger puzzle than it solves? (i.e. where did the high power come from?). And where does the theory come from? I hope I'm not being unfriendly - I like your post and I share your excitement about he CERN experiments (and your nerdism!), but I think a theory to explain natural phenomena should either have evidence or at least offer a simplification of the problem.
Regards,
B.As far as I am aware, finding the HIggs particle will not just prove the existence of Higgs fields. If it is found then Quantum Field Theory (QFT) is on much more solid ground. At present, although QFT seems to be a probability, it is still only a theory.
QFT being proved correct will result in more confidence in other aspects of Quantum Theory; and that, in turn, will suggest further experiments for the LHC.
Nerdy or not, I eagerly await results.
I think that humans are almost hard-wired in such a way that we are prevented from being able to imagine and understand outside the very limited realm of tangible science. It seems that every time scientists break our world down into smaller and smaller particles the questions and conundrums get bigger and bigger. We had a pretty good grasp on the world when we knew about molecules, but felt that grasp slipping when we moved on to atoms. We regained a slight foothold when we understood that atoms were made up of smaller elements still, and then almost fell off when we realized that the logic of how atoms stay together and don't blow themselves apart was realized.
I don't think that finding the Higgs particle, or finding out it doesn't exist, will really make any further progress on our understanding.
Perhaps a bigger question is - why are we unable to understand or comprehend the universe, and the idea of a time before it? One could almost argue that God has programmed us with such limitations - a better argument for a god perhaps than the existence or otherwise of a particle.
It certainly is fascinating, but the more scientists discover, the less we all seem to know about this universe. Maybe that's good - the day we know everything, we might as well stop bothering.
| jsarnold wrote: |
I think that humans are almost hard-wired in such a way that we are prevented from being able to imagine and understand outside the very limited realm of tangible science. It seems that every time scientists break our world down into smaller and smaller particles the questions and conundrums get bigger and bigger. We had a pretty good grasp on the world when we knew about molecules, but felt that grasp slipping when we moved on to atoms. We regained a slight foothold when we understood that atoms were made up of smaller elements still, and then almost fell off when we realized that the logic of how atoms stay together and don't blow themselves apart was realized.
I don't think that finding the Higgs particle, or finding out it doesn't exist, will really make any further progress on our understanding.
Perhaps a bigger question is - why are we unable to understand or comprehend the universe, and the idea of a time before it? One could almost argue that God has programmed us with such limitations - a better argument for a god perhaps than the existence or otherwise of a particle.
It certainly is fascinating, but the more scientists discover, the less we all seem to know about this universe. Maybe that's good - the day we know everything, we might as well stop bothering. |
Well the bigger issue is that it's just so damn hard to look at anything that small. Because we are made of matter, how can we really break it down into the smallest thing? It's some crazy reverse engineering of the universeReverse engineering? Oh dear - I wonder whether any one bothered to read the terms of service. Perhaps we might be infirnging the creator's copyright material?
| snowboardalliance wrote: |
Well the bigger issue is that it's just so damn hard to look at anything that small. Because we are made of matter, how can we really break it down into the smallest thing? It's some crazy reverse engineering of the universe |
Isn't that what science is? Reverse engineering of the universe?
The Higg's Particle does sound very interesting. It could definitely change the way physics is viewed.I think partially because if we figure out how to manipulate the Higg's particle, we can finally be able to do all that cool science-fiction stuff, like the concentric circle of energy type rocket pack.
That, and I think finding it will prove String Theory, which a lot of people want to do, but that's impossible, because String Theory is bunk.
Totally.
| PatTheGreat42 wrote: |
That, and I think finding it will prove String Theory, which a lot of people want to do, but that's impossible, because String Theory is bunk.
Totally. |
And that is a considered and informed opinion is it?It may be bunk, but it's the best candidate bunk we've found so far for a unified theory.
| Quote: |
One could almost argue that God has programmed us with such limitations - a better argument for a god perhaps than the existence or otherwise of a particle.
|
jsarnold - Not much logic in that statement, is there. What you're saying is that not understanding something is evidence that God must have programmed us that way. Do you realise how absurd that is in the light of scientific advances of the past? Years ago, man didn't understand why the planets move across the sky the way they do. Was that also a block placed there by God? If so, he took it away again a few centuries ago. And that's just 1 example. Science is littered with similar examples.
It's not that we cannot understand the universe, rather that we have not yet found the answers to our questions.
