Comments on: The Higgs Boson has not been discovered (again, in the same place) http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Shay Guy http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1365944 Shay Guy Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1365944 Has it ever <i>actually</i> happened, though? Has it ever actually happened, though?

]]> By: Shay Guy http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1365943 Shay Guy Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1365943 Oh, I know. And I'm glad it's like that. It's just funny that the conservatives in this country are the ones <i>more</i> likely to oppose science. Oh, I know. And I’m glad it’s like that. It’s just funny that the conservatives in this country are the ones more likely to oppose science.

]]> By: José Côrte-Real http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1365661 José Côrte-Real Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1365661 There's a whole "field" of jokes here There’s a whole “field” of jokes here

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363748 Mark Dow Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363748 Yes. It is expected to happen about 1 in every 16,000 tests. Higgs boson existance is something we don't want to be wrong about, even at those odds. Yes. It is expected to happen about 1 in every 16,000 tests. Higgs boson existance is something we don’t want to be wrong about, even at those odds.

]]> By: The Life Of Bryan http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363737 The Life Of Bryan Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363737 It wasn’t there again today, eh? It wasn’t there again today, eh?

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363686 Antinous / Moderator Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363686 I think that works out to 'yes'. I think that works out to ‘yes’.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363572 Paul Renault Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363572  And a testament to my lack of gayness that I have no idea what you're talking about? But, seriously, I haven't seen the musical.  I do have the book of poems.  And a testament to my lack of gayness that I have no idea what you’re talking about?

But, seriously, I haven’t seen the musical.  I do have the book of poems.

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363500 penguinchris Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363500 Nobody wants to be "that guy" who is too excited about a discovery that later turns out to be false. It ruins careers. And especially in high-stakes science like this, other scientists will be champing at the bit to disprove whoever is the first to claim they've discovered something. Being conservative about your findings is drilled into science students at every phase. You must always question your results even if you're certain. In theoretical physics that means even if you're 99.99% certain; in other fields it's not always that critical. Nobody wants to be “that guy” who is too excited about a discovery that later turns out to be false. It ruins careers.

And especially in high-stakes science like this, other scientists will be champing at the bit to disprove whoever is the first to claim they’ve discovered something.

Being conservative about your findings is drilled into science students at every phase. You must always question your results even if you’re certain. In theoretical physics that means even if you’re 99.99% certain; in other fields it’s not always that critical.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363499 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363499 Is it a testament to my gayness that I immediately knew the tune? Is it a testament to my gayness that I immediately knew the tune?

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363476 Paul Renault Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363476  With apologies to T S Eliot. The Higgs Boson's a Mystery, man.  It's called the Hidden Quark--  For it's the master criminal which can defy the Law. It's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair: For when they reach the scene of crime--the Higgs Boson's not there! Higgs Boson, Higgs Boson, there's nothing like the Higgs Boson, It's broken every human law, it breaks the law of gravity. Its powers of levitation would make a fakir stare, And when you reach the scene of crime--the Higgs Boson's not there! You may seek it in the basement, you may look up in the air-- But I tell you once and once again, the Higgs Boson's not there!  With apologies to T S Eliot.

The Higgs Boson’s a Mystery, man.  It’s called the Hidden Quark– 
For it’s the master criminal which can defy the Law.
It’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime–the Higgs Boson’s not there!

Higgs Boson, Higgs Boson, there’s nothing like the Higgs Boson,
It’s broken every human law, it breaks the law of gravity.
Its powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime–the Higgs Boson’s not there!
You may seek it in the basement, you may look up in the air–
But I tell you once and once again, the Higgs Boson’s not there!

]]> By: Shay Guy http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363432 Shay Guy Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363432 "Are you <i>extra</i>-super-duper-sure?" "Well... not yet." Kind of ironic how small-C conservative science can turn out to be. Has a 4-sigma result ever failed to reach the 5-sigma level? “Are you extra-super-duper-sure?”
“Well… not yet.”
Kind of ironic how small-C conservative science can turn out to be. Has a 4-sigma result ever failed to reach the 5-sigma level?

]]> By: dambrisco http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363387 dambrisco Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363387 Personally, it just brings me down. Personally, it just brings me down.

]]> By: Mark Lee McDonald http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363368 Mark Lee McDonald Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363368 "[They] Have always existed / They've just been waiting in a mountain / For the right moment" “[They] Have always existed / They’ve just been waiting in a mountain / For the right moment”

]]> By: Taylor Jessen http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363323 Taylor Jessen Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363323 "I miss you / But I haven't met you yet" - Bjork “I miss you / But I haven’t met you yet” – Bjork

]]> By: corydodt http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363297 corydodt Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363297  Basically: They're, like, 99.99% certain that they've observed HB. (Precisely this much. It's a lot of math they've done on their observations.) But in order to call it done and get on with it, they need to be 99.999% certain, because that's the standard. (I'm simplifying, work with me.) So they can describe it, but they can't say they know.  Basically:

They’re, like, 99.99% certain that they’ve observed HB. (Precisely this much. It’s a lot of math they’ve done on their observations.) But in order to call it done and get on with it, they need to be 99.999% certain, because that’s the standard. (I’m simplifying, work with me.)

So they can describe it, but they can’t say they know.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363280 Brainspore Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363280 <blockquote>"It has led to a joke in physics circles now: The Higgs boson has not been discovered yet, but its mass is 125 billion electron volts."</blockquote>Ha ha! Good one. (I actually don't get it but I'm afraid to look stupid in front of the physicists.)

“It has led to a joke in physics circles now: The Higgs boson has not been discovered yet, but its mass is 125 billion electron volts.”

Ha ha! Good one.

(I actually don’t get it but I’m afraid to look stupid in front of the physicists.)

]]> By: DamnitDani http://boingboing.net/2012/03/07/the-higgs-boson-has-not-been-d.html#comment-1363250 DamnitDani Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=147550#comment-1363250 This is so awesome. The Higgs Boson excites me like no other elementary particle can. This is so awesome. The Higgs Boson excites me like no other elementary particle can.

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