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Higgs Boson Discovered?!

HiggsBosonCERN040712.gif


ETA: that was the CMS presentation's conclusion.
 
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CMS results:

The two high-resolution, actually-see-a-peak searches (Higgs decaying to two photons, and Higgs decaying to two Z-bosons, both decaying to ee or mu mu) combine for a 5+ sigma discovery. Clear as a bell, you can see the Higgs peaks with the naked eye. In the ZZ channel that means what looked like (eyeballing my memory of the viewgraph) 7-8 Higgs-like events on top of a nearly zero background.

Several the other channels, of the sort that see broad mass-insensitive excesses, have slightly lower-than-expected counts, which pulls the all-combined discovery number to 4.9 sigma.

The ATLAS talk is ongoing ...
 
Fantastic. Perhaps particle physics will be front page news for the first time in decades.
 
Maybe they'll be able to draw us a picture of this "particle". PMSL
This nonsense should be in the conspiracy theory section along with black holes, dark matter and gravity.
 
geni said:
If they did do you think there is the faintest possibility that they would say anything? Media management generaly isn't a strong point in science but the LHC mob have shown a degree of competence in that area and are well aware that any rumours anywhere online will find their way to the the media fairly quickly.
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ahem

jadebox said:
Laboratory accidentally posts video heralding discovery of a new particle on its website ahead of scheduled announcement:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jul/03/higgs-boson-video-leaks-cern?newsfeed=true

-- Roger
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And Comic Sans
 
BobHaulk said:
So they still haven't found what they were looking for, just like Bono
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No. More like "They're pretty sure they've found what they're looking for but they want to know more about it". Not aware of a U2 song by that name.
 
They seem confident they've found A Higgs boson, but just aren't 100% certain whether it's THE Higgs boson, or whether there is just one Higgs boson.
 
Next time they go looking for a new particle how can they go one better?

I predict the Beatles particle.
 
The higgsteria-bias

Scepticme must try to undermine the "Higgsteria-bias".

Higgsteria-bias = "Because of all our efforts, because of the million dollar project, we must find that Higgsparticle. The standard model must be right, because a lot of money, certificates and titles are depending on it. Otherwise, we stare in the unknown."

Higgsteria-quotes:

"We are closer....", "it could be the Higgsparticle". "It's a new particle, it must be that Higgsparticle. etc..."

If a pseudoscientist would mention 'it could be this' or 'it could be that', the critical thinker would answer: 'it could be this or that' is no science at all.

So, criticism to undermine it, instead of searching for comfirmation (confirmationbias because of Higgsteria) is the critical weapon against the Higgsteria, to search for the truth. The more Higgsteria, the more 'falsification-tests' needed.
 
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Brown said:
Already I am concerned that the Higgs Boson announcement will lead to a rush of "fat jokes," if it hasn't done so already. Get ready for wit like this:

"Scientists say that the Higgs Boson is the particle that gives a body its weight. Looks like Chris Christie has discovered a whole bunch of Higgs Bosons already!"
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Yo' momma's so fat, she gives the Higgs Boson its weight.

Dave
 
Maartenn100 said:
If a pseudoscientist would mention 'it could be this' or 'it could be that', the critical thinker would answer: 'it could be this or that' is no science at all.
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You are getting confused between conservatism and speculation.
 
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