Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

agent46

(1,262 posts)
24. They've been threatening to discover something
Wed Jul 4, 2012, 01:05 PM
Jul 2012

They've been threatening to discover something for months now. New reports coming out every week or so saying they're getting closer. From what I've read, "discovery" of the particle is a percentage game. At a certain statistical level, the Higgs Boson can be said to have been (probably) discovered.

I wonder what the PR hype is for.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

LHC claims new particle discovery dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #1
Wow, it was hiding there all along...Professor HIGGS Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #2
Peter Higgs is still alive. joshcryer Jul 2012 #3
Is he? Why wasn't he front row and center Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #4
Yes - he's there in Geneva dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #6
So, it was him! The camera panned over to him Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #7
Yeah, he was there. CMS didn't have 5 sigma like Atlas. joshcryer Jul 2012 #11
I think he was quite overwhelmed. When the camera Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #13
"massless mess of aimless particles running around at light speed" DCBob Jul 2012 #5
An aimless mess, maybe...but, as one of the Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #8
Sounds rather like Administratium ... Nihil Jul 2012 #17
Actually, I'm not sure particles would zip around at the speed of light mindwalker_i Jul 2012 #25
Actually, massless particles MUST travel at light speed. Odin2005 Jul 2012 #27
Why? mindwalker_i Jul 2012 #36
The excitement sounds rather forced brentspeak Jul 2012 #9
5 sigma + 4.9 sigma is enough, imo, but they are scientists. joshcryer Jul 2012 #12
+1,000! No faith-based, airy-fairy extrapolations, just Surya Gayatri Jul 2012 #15
I wish I could upvote this. Hosnon Jul 2012 #23
If you can manipulate Higgs bosons, then you could perhaps manipulate gravity itself. Selatius Jul 2012 #10
Theoretically it could be manipulated to reduce somethings mass. harun Jul 2012 #37
I have only the vaguest notion of the implications, but I know enough annabanana Jul 2012 #14
K&R! myrna minx Jul 2012 #16
Hi! Didn't mean to post dupe news but I thought I'd post official CERN statement above. hue Jul 2012 #18
Cool, next step: warp drives 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #19
Great! longship Jul 2012 #20
I remember being so disappointed when the super collider project in Texas was scrapped siligut Jul 2012 #21
I remember that, too. murielm99 Jul 2012 #28
For a much more readable yet scientific source... eggplant Jul 2012 #22
They've been threatening to discover something agent46 Jul 2012 #24
Could be, y'know, because they *were* getting closer for months. Posteritatis Jul 2012 #29
I've been giddy all morning since I've heard this! Odin2005 Jul 2012 #26
Higgs Bosun walks into a church..... dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #30
Higgs Boson would be a great name for a rock band. yellowcanine Jul 2012 #31
Yes - but they could create dipsydoodle Jul 2012 #32
FINALLY donco Jul 2012 #33
I served in the Navy with a Bosun Higgs. Stinky The Clown Jul 2012 #34
k&r Electric Monk Jul 2012 #35
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»CERN Says It's Detected A...»Reply #24