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Peter Higgs
(29 May 1929 - 8 Apr 2025)
English theoretical physicist whose name is given to the Higgs boson. He began in 1964 by hypothesizing the Higgs field that is present across the entire universe, interaction with which gives mass to all elementary particles.
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Science Quotes by Peter Higgs (1 quote)
The bombs on Japan either drew people into theoretical physics or made them leave in their droves. That’s when I began to learn about what was going on. After that, I decided to avoid anything that was to do with weapons.
— Peter Higgs
As quoted, without citation, in Ian Sample, Massive: The Missing Particle That Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science (2012), 41. [Please contact Webmaster if you know the primary source of this quote.]
Quotes by others about Peter Higgs (1)
The God Particle.
Coined name for the Higgs Boson. Title of the co-authored book by Leon Lederman and Dick Teresi, The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question (1993). In an interview with Melissa Block on NPR radio, All Things Considered (15 Mar 2013), Teresi gave the origin of the book title. While co-writing the book, Teresi and Lederman talked about the content. Lederman explained this hypothetical particle to him as the ultimate elementary particle, perhaps inside every other particle, as the basic ingredient of the universe from which all else is made. The name was born as Lederman joked about it to him. Teresi suggested using that as a working title for the book, never expecting that the publisher would, in fact, adopt the title. Hence, with the publication of the book, the nickname for the Higgs Boson was also launched.
See also:
- 29 May - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Higgs's birth.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
