A massive loss to the physics community

April 9, 2024 6:53 PM

"Besides his outstanding contributions to particle physics, Peter was a very special person, a man of rare modesty, a great teacher and someone who explained physics in a very simple and profound way." [...] "His prediction of the existence of the particle that bears his name was a deep insight, and its discovery at Cern in 2012 was a crowning moment that confirmed his understanding of the way the Universe works." "Even though he didn’t much enjoy it, he felt a responsibility to use the public profile his achievements brought him for the good of science, and he did so many times. The particle that carries his name is perhaps the single most stunning example of how seemingly abstract mathematical ideas can make predictions which turn out to have huge physical consequences."

Peter Higgs, physicist who proposed Higgs boson, dies aged 94

Musical accompaniment: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "The Higgs Boson Blues" (Too dark? Enjoy "The Particle Physics Song" by the illustrious CERN Choir, discussed previously)

RIP Peter Higgs, who laid foundation for the Higgs boson in the 1960s

Nobel prize winner Professor Peter Higgs didn't know he'd won - until a woman in the street told him

Peter Higgs: I wouldn't be productive enough for today's academic system

Other key Higgs posts previously on MeFi:

2001: "The most saught after object particle in physics, the Higgs boson, may not even exist."

2011: Wherefore art thou (probably), Higgs?

2012: Scientists at CERN, using the Large Hadron Collider, may have discovered the Higgs Boson

2012: CERN has announced the discovery of the Higgs boson

2013: Cern scientists believe newly discovered particle is the real Higgs boson. Results of analysis at Cern in Switzerland show particle behaves precisely as expected

posted by Rhaomi (25 comments total)

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posted by clavdivs at 7:17 PM on April 9 [5 favorites]

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posted by riruro at 7:20 PM on April 9

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posted by learning from frequent failure at 7:43 PM on April 9

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posted by humbug at 7:46 PM on April 9

A+++ title, and

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posted by Gorgik at 8:35 PM on April 9 [1 favorite]

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posted by quazichimp at 9:03 PM on April 9

People who can do physics...

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posted by Windopaene at 11:12 PM on April 9

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posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 11:36 PM on April 9

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posted by caphector at 11:56 PM on April 9

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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 12:42 AM on April 10

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posted by sammyo at 1:25 AM on April 10

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Higgs is a great example of ‘The fox publishes many things, but the hedgehog publishes one big thing' paraphrased from Archilochus, Erasmus, Berlin [that would be Languagehat]. The productivity failure article cited above gave me a rush of empathy. Three of the most interesting, public-engaging, well-travelled, widely-read, student-inspiring faculty at my alma mater were all at one time up before the beak for not publishing enough. Least Publishable Units LPUs are countable but that doesn't make them valuable - even collectively.
posted by BobTheScientist at 1:48 AM on April 10 [15 favorites]

That 2013 productivity-failure article gets better and better as it goes on. "If they believe that story about creation in seven days, are they being intelligent?" "I'm rather cynical about the way the honours system is used, frankly." "My attitude [towards Scottish independence] would depend a little bit on how much progress the lunatic right of the Conservative party makes in trying to get us out of Europe." Farewell, prof, you were my kinda guy.
posted by rory at 2:51 AM on April 10 [5 favorites]

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posted by lalochezia at 4:08 AM on April 10

Now that we’ve found the Higgs Boson, he can finally have a funeral Mass.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:30 AM on April 10 [7 favorites]

Except he was an atheist, and that would be profoundly disrespectful.

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posted by seanmpuckett at 5:03 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]

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posted by JoeXIII007 at 5:23 AM on April 10

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posted by UhOhChongo! at 8:51 AM on April 10

My condolences to his surviving partner, John Boson.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:11 AM on April 10

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posted by doctornemo at 10:24 AM on April 10

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posted by the_dreamwriter at 10:56 AM on April 10

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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:42 AM on April 10

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posted by Quietgal at 4:35 PM on April 10

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posted by filtergik at 4:17 AM on April 11

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posted by symmsaur at 12:13 PM on April 12