[Shaun]

The most coveted prize in particle physics - the Higgs boson - may have been glimpsed, say researchers reporting at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva.

The particle is purported to be the means by which everything in the Universe obtains its mass.

Scientists say that two experiments at the LHC see hints of the Higgs at the same mass, fuelling huge excitement.

But the LHC does not yet have enough data to claim a discovery.

Finding the Higgs would be one of the biggest scientific advances of the last 60 years. It is crucial for allowing us to make sense of the Universe, but has never been observed by experiments.

This basic building block of the Universe is a significant missing component of the Standard Model - the "instruction booklet" that describes how particles and forces interact.

Two separate, enormous experiments at the LHC - Atlas and CMS - have been conducting independent searches for the Higgs.

Because the Standard Model does not predict an exact mass for the Higgs, physicists have to use particle accelerators like the LHC to systematically look for it across a broad search area.

The rumours suggest that both Atlas and CMS see a data "spike" at the mass of 125 Gigaelectronvolts (GeV; this is about 130 times heavier than the protons found in the nuclei of atoms).

However, the statistical certainty of their measurement is still too low to claim a formal "discovery", which will require further experiments and analysis.

Nevertheless, the results have generated enormous excitement among particle physicists.

Prof Stefan Soldner-Rembold, from the University of Manchester, called the quality of the LHC's results "exceptional", adding: "Within one year we will probably know whether the Higgs particle exists, but it is likely not going to be a Christmas present."

[Livia]

Boggles the mind, doesn't it. I can't pretend to understand all the intricacies of this, but it's fascinating anyway.

I always read it as the "Large Hardon Collider", which would be just as interesting in a different way.

[Harry!]

I personally don't see the point of these experiments. Like how would knowing about what happened when the big bang was formed help us in every day life?

[King Gizzard]

..answer one of lifes biggest questions if not biggest? lol

[Shaun]

yeah the universe is so boring when it's not getting me 20p off at tesco or cleaning my clothes

[Harry!]

But I know that this has always been a interesting revelation into revealing how the universe was created etc but I don't understand how this would improve things such as new technologies. Maybe this could improve broadband speed etc but it might not have as many practicalities at it seems.

Science normally answers the "How" questions whilst Religion normally answers the "what" questions. Another question such as "What is the meaning of life?" is more difficult scientifically.

/small rant

[Shaun]

aside from finally exposing creationists for idiots, it'd have a huge impact on the future of space travel, energy and technology :/

[Harry!]

Of course...

[Photon]

Originally Posted by Harry!

Religion normally answers the "what" questions.
/small rant

Religion provides no real answers. It provides a series of claims based on conjecture and demands that that people accept them as truth on the basis of faith, rather than evidence. Science has provided religion hundreds of years of embarrassment, and religious figures have made absurd claims that religion is there for all the questions that science "can't answer." Even when science has answered questions, religions tend to desperately reject those findings. The meaning of life? Well based on the nature of all other animal/plant behavior, the meaning of life is as basic as survival and propagation of ones genes, but humans have far more complex minds and seek greater meaning than that.

Religion is a pre-scientific phenomenon that sought to explain existence and natural occurrences by attributing supernatural causes.