Re: Higgs Boson found? : Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:59 pm  

Chris28 wrote:

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

The Higgs is overrated in the media. But basically one theory is that, when it comes down to the most fundamental particles, this is the one that makes all particles "weigh" something, i.e. have mass. Find a way to extract Higgs Bosons from the rest of the particles, and you could for example get a "weightless" spacecraft, and empty Weightwatchers meetings halls.

So somewhere, within each of us, we have the Higgs Boson?

If it exists

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:48 pm  

Chris28 wrote: If so can anyone here explain it so I understand? (slowly and using short words please) Look HERE

Chris28 wrote: If so can anyone here explain it so I understand? (slowly and using short words please) Look HERE

[Kosh]

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:32 pm  

Chris28 wrote:

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

The Higgs is overrated in the media. But basically one theory is that, when it comes down to the most fundamental particles, this is the one that makes all particles "weigh" something, i.e. have mass. Find a way to extract Higgs Bosons from the rest of the particles, and you could for example get a "weightless" spacecraft, and empty Weightwatchers meetings halls.

So somewhere, within each of us, we have the Higgs Boson?

If it exists, then every particle in the Universe that has mass contains one.

Still not certain that it exists, mind.

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:41 pm  

Anakin Skywalker wrote: Chris28 wrote: If so can anyone here explain it so I understand? (slowly and using short words please) Look HERE theexploratorium from whose site that cartoon is taken is well worth a visit if your ever in sf

Anakin Skywalker wrote: Chris28 wrote: If so can anyone here explain it so I understand? (slowly and using short words please) Look HERE theexploratorium from whose site that cartoon is taken is well worth a visit if your ever in sf

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:21 am  

Chris28 wrote:

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

The Higgs is overrated in the media. But basically one theory is that, when it comes down to the most fundamental particles, this is the one that makes all particles "weigh" something, i.e. have mass. Find a way to extract Higgs Bosons from the rest of the particles, and you could for example get a "weightless" spacecraft, and empty Weightwatchers meetings halls.

So somewhere, within each of us, we have the Higgs Boson?

Well, a 70 kg person is made up of approximately 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms. Each contains numerous Higgs bosons (if they exist) so you could say you don't have one, you have several.

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:26 am  

Rock God X wrote:

Chris28 wrote:

So somewhere, within each of us, we have the Higgs Boson?

Yes, like The Force.

Preferring this explanation so far...

but comprehension is improving. Cheers!

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:55 pm  

My understanding (I read a few articles a while back so I may miss some details) is that the 'Higgs field' permeates all space and interacts with some particles whilst others pass through without any interaction taking place. Particles without mass are massless because they don't interact with the Higgs. Particles with mass have it because they do interact and in effect are slowed down by the Higgs field, its this slowing down that gives the mass to the particle (am I right in thinking that massless particles travel at light speed by definition?). Maybe a good analogy is a massless particle whizzing along at the speed of light, then interacting with the Higgs and it being like a treacle that has the effect of slowing down the particle.

There are a few things that don't quite fit in my mind, but thats probably down to me not having a full understanding, in fact I suppose nobody really understands fully, so I don't feel too bad. The Higgs must have appeared at the same point as the big bang or very very soon afterwards, otherwise surely the particles it gives mass too would be too far away for it to interact, they'd be 182,000 or so miles away in a second if they move at light speed. I think im going to confuse myself soon so ill stop typing now.

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:01 am  

davet wrote:

My understanding (I read a few articles a while back so I may miss some details) is that the 'Higgs field' permeates all space and interacts with some particles whilst others pass through without any interaction taking place. Particles without mass are massless because they don't interact with the Higgs. Particles with mass have it because they do interact and in effect are slowed down by the Higgs field, its this slowing down that gives the mass to the particle (am I right in thinking that massless particles travel at light speed by definition?). Maybe a good analogy is a massless particle whizzing along at the speed of light, then interacting with the Higgs and it being like a treacle that has the effect of slowing down the particle.

There are a few things that don't quite fit in my mind, but thats probably down to me not having a full understanding, in fact I suppose nobody really understands fully, so I don't feel too bad. The Higgs must have appeared at the same point as the big bang or very very soon afterwards, otherwise surely the particles it gives mass too would be too far away for it to interact, they'd be 182,000 or so miles away in a second if they move at light speed. I think im going to confuse myself soon so ill stop typing now.

By your figures it might be 4,000 miles ahead waiting in ambush at the end of that second.

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:11 am  

I couldn't remember if it was 186,000ish or 182,000ish, decided just to guess. ah well

Re: Higgs Boson found? : Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:51 am  

davet wrote:

My understanding (I read a few articles a while back so I may miss some details) is that the 'Higgs field' permeates all space and interacts with some particles whilst others pass through without any interaction taking place. Particles without mass are massless because they don't interact with the Higgs. Particles with mass have it because they do interact and in effect are slowed down by the Higgs field, its this slowing down that gives the mass to the particle (am I right in thinking that massless particles travel at light speed by definition?). Maybe a good analogy is a massless particle whizzing along at the speed of light, then interacting with the Higgs and it being like a treacle that has the effect of slowing down the particle.

There are a few things that don't quite fit in my mind, but thats probably down to me not having a full understanding, in fact I suppose nobody really understands fully, so I don't feel too bad. The Higgs must have appeared at the same point as the big bang or very very soon afterwards, otherwise surely the particles it gives mass too would be too far away for it to interact, they'd be 182,000 or so miles away in a second if they move at light speed. I think im going to confuse myself soon so ill stop typing now.

Yes, for example, Photons.

The Higgs Boson will have been formed after the big bang as the universe cooled