The GOD Particle

I love it when the media gets hold of a complex idea, and feels the need to simplify it so that you and I understand it.

The GOD Particle.  In case we missed the significance that this is important.  Really important.

Here's the details you need to know.. expressed not simply in layman's terms, but in everyday language.

When Scientists come up with an idea they need to test it through experimentation to validate the idea is real.  Prior to testing and validation, it's a theory (only).  Until this week, the Higgs Boson or God Particle was a theory only, and one of the primary aims of CERN was to find it, and confirm it's existence.  Why is the Higgs Boson important enough to be referred to as the God Particle ?  Because huge sums of money and energy have been spent in pursuit of it.  You see this theoretical piece of the puzzle was the missing link in what Particle Physics refers to as the standard model.  This standard model outlines how the universe hangs together and moves to offer details around around everything from the ice in your martini to the Big Bang.  So to Particle Physicists, the Standard Model was missing one crucial piece of proof - the Higgs Boson to confirm they were all on the right path.  (It specifically speaks to adding or not adding matter or weight to a given particle and is instrumental in explaining key parts of the model) Imagine that they couldn't prove it existed - the standard model falls apart, and they all are reset back decades in their work to help create understanding of how the universe works.

So, the confirmation that CERN has some evidence (not 100% solid yet) that they've found the key signature of the Higgs Boson is big news.  Especially to Physicists.

But, and here's where I'll try to offer some perspective - But we should acknowledge that  there is little completely pure research into the greater things in our lives going on. We aren't sending people to space anymore; we aren't exploring the depths of the deepest oceans to uncover other forms of life.  We are however funnelling billions into applied physics - it is our pure research as a species at the moment, so what affects this small group of people, actually affects us all.   The "God Particle" is media hype, but the real importance of the discovery proves the value of continued pure research for all of us to advance as a species.