the rumor out of CERN is they will announce they have all but seen the elusive Higgs-boson particle.
this announcement will be made on july fourth. If true, it may, may be the final piece of the puzzle
to the grand unification theory that has puzzled scientist since Einstein. the question now becomes, what is next?
It may take years for the implications to trickle through physics.
will it lead to time-travel? I doubt it. will it lead to flying cars? doubt it.
will it lead to star trek physics? Perhaps in a few centuries, but for now all it means
is we might have the basis on which the universe functions on. Of all the forces, the hardest
one to get a grasp of is gravity and this might lead us to a better understanding of gravity. Of all the forces,
gravity seems to be the one that is the key to everything. everything that exists, may exist because of gravity.
the stars, galaxies, the planets, even life itself may come about because of gravity. Look for very exciting news to flow
from this announcement in the years to come.
God is not a particle.
But that isn’t going to stop the Quantum Magi from waving their wand of mathematical models before the curtain of distant experiments and causing one to appear before your very eyes. No matter what happens in their experiment, they will show you the “God particle” and proclaim proof of the ultimate formula for the “Unified Field Theory”.
The QM “Standard Model” is neither fundamental nor accurate.
See all of those that say they are observed “indirectly”?
What that means is that they proposed that they existed, looked for evidence for their proposal, found some possible evidence, and proclaimed empirical evidence of existence. Take all of those out of the picture of what has been actually found and see what is left. Add to that, that even knowing that you have actually seen a particle is pretty tough, thus if you try to see it hard enough, you will see what(ever) you are looking so intently to find. If you don’t see it, you simply aren’t looking hard enough… or perhaps lack sufficient mathematical skills and an open mind. QM is about mathematically declared entities, not physical entities.
“Particles” that are purported to be within particles, are not particles (self-sustaining entities). They cannot exist on their own because they are merely a variant portion of an actual particle. Very few actual particles are self sustaining enough to be seen by the methods currently available. And even most of those are not stable enough to exist for long.
If you need to know why “it” happens, invent a force and a particle, watch “it” happen, and see the proof of both your particle and your force. How can you go wrong? It is about gloried car mechanics insistent on finding the spark plug inside the gasoline molecule that causes it to burn. Without a rational philosopher by their side, they will be certain to know that they found it.
“They” are trying desperately to prove themselves to be the ultimate prophets. The “benefit” is ego and influence over all of those who got captured into the belief and hold to the faith (as with all of the other religions). QM is merely the modern version of numerology… applying numbers to all things in hopes of being able to apply numbers to predict future events and thus be the king’s elite “soothsayer”.
It is a way to get paid for eventually getting into the position of extorting the kingdom through creating sufficient belief that when anything is predicted, the believers will cause it to happen, and thus further prove their right to be respected. And then, “reward me, else I might have to predict your downfall”.
There would be a massive amount of energy in them there higgs bosons, should be something we can do with that if we can get hold of it. They could unravel many further secrets about existence, how it came about etc.
Money well spent imho, we’d have only pissed it up the wall on shit products, drink and drugs etc.
Here is an article called “A Closer Look at the Higgs Boson” which deals in part with practical results. Whether you consider the high cost of particle research worth it or not is your own business, but at least there are some practical benefits. See:
Of course, there is more to life than practicality for some people. Somehow there is a way that math and science move into pure poetry and at some point pure source. Calling it the “God particle” provides a kind of mystical dimension to the mystery and the search for ultimate answers to our existence and that of the universe and the way it works. But of course that doesn’t help the people living in cars worrying about police harassment, or those wondering how long they’ll see a paycheck or whether they can even get healthcare, much less “proton therapy.” And of course the mental dimensions of studies like these seem like another world entirely from our little legislative and schoolboard fights over science texts, what and how to teach, even to the point of wanting to ban the teaching of critical thinking skills. Our smallminded, materialistic, oversimplified religious fearmongering really look so petty in comparison to high mental and scientific achievements. But there are many many billions of dollars enough sunk in the kind of pettiness that can and do destroy worlds; so it’s nice now and then to see achievements that soar above it all if only for a little while.
James, you are trying to create an entirely a priori metaphysical account of the universe, one which you claim can account for all disciplines including physics, even though you can’t actually do any physics whatsoever, with or without your “Rational Metaphysics”. Could it be you who wants to become a modern soothsayer? Could it be that you are projecting your desire for ultimate control over scientists and that you don’t really understand what they do or their motivations?
Human beings are insane. We have thousands of nuclear weapons, an extinction machine of our own design, pointed down our own throats. In addition, we are destroying the environment we depend on, the only environment we have, as fast as we possibly can.
Science didn’t make us insane, but it is science which is giving us the power to do ever more damage with our insanity.
We’re like a 14 year old kid who is causing lots of trouble in the neighborhood, and science wants to hand us a car, a case of booze, and a gun.
Billions spent on the Higgs, with no actual practical benefit identified, other than dreamy wonderment for physics nerds. We have more important business to be attending to.
Although the reason they are willing to spend your money and efforts on such things (without asking you) is for the side benefits. As they invest into and investigate how to achieve the dream, they discover how to achieve control of the dreamers.
Wont there always be problems especially societal ones, even if we sorted them out more would follow.
Better to concentrate somewhat on permanent things rather than transient issues.
But how does this new data released on the 4th tell most physicists more about the higgs field than they already knew on July 4th 2011? Please tell me if I’m wrong but isn’t finding the boson more of an honorary milestone than an actionable cornerstone? From where I’m sitting it looks like a great marketing pitch, having the boson itself as a logo for the show-me mentality of a populace that doesn’t find science so sexy. It’s a logo for a product that was found years ago – the higgs field. I hope this hype of the boson will help science and get people more into science in general.
The more I delve into it, the more I feel let down, and that this was a technicality, and that the real exciting questions and answers about the higgs field are years away. is this the case for anyone else?
I’m happy for Peter Higgs, and for the duo of Bose-Einstein. Especially Bose, he got the better half of that deal. i hope this helps science funding for everyone, and helps the idea of science for the sake of knowledge, across all fields of scientific practice.
What does it matter if its been found? No pun inteded.
It cant beproved that atoms exist. You can’t see atoms
It cant be proved that protons exist.
It cant be proved that neutrons exist
It can’t be proved that yeserday existed
This last statement is true because the universe could have been created, say 5 seconds ago with all the memories that people have.
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