Higgs Boson Particle discovered, what happens now?

[Scott]

yay, we've found the higgs boson.....lets make some weapons. or am i just being sinicle?

seriously thought, it really must be an exciting time for those at cern. where do we go from here? who can possibly know.

[sologuitarist61]

We can never tell at the outset of a new discovery, where that knowledge will take us. It could be some more 'consumer trash', or ir may be something that would change every bodies lives for the better, so I feel it may be a bit early to write it off completely. Whilst the everyday man in the street may not even take an interest in this discovery there are others whom it excites greatly and it is them who will make whatever they learn from this into perhaps a better world. So fingers crossed.

[JulianO]

Some quotes from when things were discovered:

The electron - may it never be of use to anyone - JJ Thompson

TV's electronics, so many applications

The laser - appears to be a solution looking for a problem - is it any use outside research?

CD, DVD, commuincations, ranging, they're everywhere now.

Quantum mechanics is very impressive. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory produces a good deal but hardly brings us closer to the secret of the Old One. I am at all events convinced that He does not play dice.'' - EInstein

CCD's, transistors, all manner of devices - even understanding photosynthesis requires QM.

So - its pure research at the moment, but we may well look back on it one day and wonder how we managed without the basic understandings that led to such new technology.

[sologuitarist61]

You make a very good and valid point JulianO.

[Ronnie67]

I supose now is try and find others, for example what the dark matter is made up of

[mjpfc]

Hopefully now, we can go on to prove that Dark matter is bunkum, and put our international resources behing getting MOND right.

In the meantime I am going to test out the Intertia, Friction quotent and mass of the many particles in a bottle of "old Specled Hen" in honour

of the chaps at Cern, and those who have spent 20 years and upwards chasing this little monster.

Mick IOW.

[sologuitarist61]

Hopefully now, we can go on to prove that Dark matter is bunkum, and put our international resources behing getting MOND right.

In the meantime I am going to test out the Intertia, Friction quotent and mass of the many particles in a bottle of "old Specled Hen" in honour

of the chaps at Cern, and those who have spent 20 years and upwards chasing this little monster.

Mick IOW.

Sounds like an idea!! Though I will use the local brew from Skinners Brewery, either a 'Ginger Tosser', a 'Betty Scoggins', or a 'Heligan Honey'. I reccomend you try them if you are ever down this way (probably available on line too) - no I am nothing to do with them other than as a consumer!! :grin:

[DarkStar7]

There is something fundamentally wrong with Supersymmetry... Where are all the sparticles?

[Ronnie67]

About 80 percent of the mass in our Universe is currently invisible to us.

It is thought to be made of a mysterious hypothetical substance called dark matter. Scientist hope to find more clues about it when the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider [LHC] in Switzerland, restarts in late November after nearly a year-long shutdown due to mechanical problems.

In my opinion, the most exciting theory that could be proved is that of supersymmetry. If we can find supersymmetry particles it would explain a number of problems we have in physics, like dark matter.

[Ronnie67]

80 percent of matter we can’t see does not behave like the quarks and leptons, so it must be something else. One possibility is that there is a new class, or family, of particles completely different from quarks and leptons. These are the theoretical supersymmetry particles.

The idea of supersymmetry, proposed over 30 years ago, theorizes the existence of partners (“superparticles”) to all known particles. The theory shook the physics community with a sort of a parallel universe of partner particles.

Superstring theory models all the particles and forces of nature as miniscule oscillating strings that are “supersymmetrical.” Schwarz's predictions about superparticles might soon become reality.

[username]

Where are all the sparticles?

I'm Sparticles!

[JamesF]

I'm Sparticles!

No, I'm Sparticles, and so is my wife!

James

[JulianO]

DM particles are in reach of the LHC energies - at least some possible ones are, but they will be very difficult to detect.

Meanwhile - the search goes on for the exact properties of the Higgs-like particle, extra dimensions and SUSY.

[Capricorn]

What happens now?

They will want a bigger toy to play with. :blob9:

[sologuitarist61]

People are talking as if finding the Higgs Boson is the end of the affair. Better surely to think that this might just be the beginning ......

[Ronnie67]

I agree totally with you sologuitarist, I to think this is the beggining of something very much bigger, its a start to discover much more of the mysteries which surrounds our existance of the universe

[sologuitarist61]

I agree totally with you sologuitarist, I to think this is the beggining of something very much bigger, its a start to discover much more of the mysteries which surrounds our existance of the universe

Absolutely; whenever a discovery is made it usual brings up more questions than it solved. I get a gut feeling about this discovery (if it proves to be the correct particle that they have found) that great things may be in the pipeline a few years down the line when people have got their heads around what it all means.

[DarkStar7]

If the spin of the Higgs Boson is Spin 2, would it have identical characteristics to a graviton?

[DarkStar7]

http://www.thebunsenburner.com/news/physicists-cern-may-have-discovered-higgs-boson-impostor/

[Groucho Ben]

Hello all, a very interesting thread!

I thought I'd share an excellent video with you; basically, it's a researcher at CERN explaining what the Higgs-Boson particle is, and outlining possible avenues for research, but animated really nicely. It ain't pixar, but it's really amazing how much intelligent visuals can help you understand a concept better. Anyway, it helped me...

Clear Colliders!

[Phil Fargaze]

That was very interesting. One point they mention which stuck out for me ( I don`t know why though) was that the guys mention that you can`t get negative mass or repulsive gravity. It`s kind of begging for someone to take up the challenge and find out if or why.

[Ronnie67]

Very interesting video, it sums up that there is still a great deal to learn and to discover, the Higgs being just the begining of things to come

[sologuitarist61]

A strange presentation but effective.

[Skybrowser]

Ok, well her goes, a voice of controversy in the midst of all the excitement... Brian Cox is wrong. First of all, the LHC has cost £2.6bn. That's a lot more than his comparison with the funding of a small university and a significant percentage of what the government has spent to prop up the banks, a large proportion of which I understand is well on the way to being paid back. It is also considerably more than we spend on peanuts in a year.

We now have theories abounding all over the place. The certainty that was dark matter, which of course must be there, because it explains a few things is seemingly now dispensed with by some people, far more academically qualified than this Physics graduate (and a graduate from quite some time ago). Whilst there are more "journeys" we could go on to discover interesting new stuff, to me, that's all it is, interesting.

In my humble opinion, very humble compared to some of the contributors to this site, there are millions of people on this planet who would give their eye teeth for a drink of clear water. I know it's a too often rolled out argument but I genuinely feel we are losing perspective at a time when costs for the new discoveries are spiraling out of control. Putting things into perspective for the man on the street, yes, science has provided the computer, major advances in medicine and more knowledge about the Universe, but the man in the street only gauges the impact of new discoveries by how it affects him.

We have spent the equivalent of the GDP of a sizeable country to find the answer to a question. That is all. That answer will forge or present new questions and the wild goose chase continues, the speculation accumulates and the overall end result is, well, there is never an end result. We have simply (at the moment) found an answer to a question. Now I know we are now seeing discoveries associated with the Universe we could have never dreamed of, but at what cost?

For me, astronomy is a hobby. I get an enormous kick out of seeing the wonderful things up there and always have. I repeatedly look at the standard targets - moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Orion and other nebulae, galaxies etc.. I have a crack at the dark art of astro imaging now and then but find it a total waste of time, money (lots) and effort. Personally, I find astro imaging really, really boring. But, looking through those eyepieces gives me a kick. I have learned about what I'm looking at and enjoy that too. What I don't enjoy is seeing experts use the phrases like "for reasons we don't yet know" or "it is generally felt that..." as that borders on the speculative and HG Wells was good at that a hundred years ago.

So, for CERN, the LHC, Peter Higgs, dark matter, particles and the rest, let's get things in perspective folks. You have found the answer to a question. It has taken you 50 years to find it. I am really pleased for you, but instead of spending billions to get your answer, which will create even more questions, I would rather spend that kind of money on more useful things. Medical research would have benefited greatly from such funding.

So, controversial? Maybe. Rolling out old chestnuts about spending money perhaps more wisely? Gulity. I can never stifle man's thirst for knowledge, the objective of understanding where it all came from. Over the last hundred years, theories have come and gone. I guess 500 years ago I would be in the "the world is flat" camp. However, I do applaud the brain power associated with the discoveries about the Universe over the last few years. It's all a bit confusing to most, completely pointless to others. The sheer weight of the cost to find the answer to a question is for me, simply not worth it.

Just a personal opinion guys, that's all. I won't reply to any challenges to the above. I just wanted to voice something different (ish).

[RogerTheDodger]

BC was talking about the UK spend, not the total.

They haven't foud a definitve answer just a likely one - they are not certain it is *the* Higgs boson, and yes that is the nature of science - we find more questions to ask.

No you are not being controversial, just not understanding basic science.