Large Hadron Collider: 'God particle' theorist Peter Higgs attacks Stephen Hawking

[kurth_]

Large Hadron Collider: 'God particle' theorist Peter Higgs attacks Stephen Hawking
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 11/09/2008

Peter Higgs has attacked his Nobel prize rival Stephen Hawking, describing his work as "not good enough" following a row over potential new discoveries from the Large Hadron Collider experiment.

Professor Higgs reacted to an interview in which Professor Hawking jokingly suggested it would be "more exciting" if the £2.5 billion experiment at Cern on the Franco-Swiss border did not find the Higgs Boson, or "God particle", it has been set up to identify. Professor Hawking once placed a $100 bet that the particle does not exist and continues to argue there are more interesting outcomes to be drawn from the LHC than its discovery.

Scientists believe the Higgs boson is crucial to understanding the origin of mass. Shortly after the big bang, it is thought many particles weighed nothing, but became heavy later on, thanks to the Higgs field.

Prof Higgs, who first suggested the existence of the particle 44 years ago, admitted he hadn't read the actual paper in which Prof Hawkins dismisses his theory. "But I have read one he wrote which I think is the basis for the kind of calculation he does. And frankly I don't think the way he does it is good enough," he said. "My understanding is he puts together theories in particle physics with gravity... in a way which no theoretical particle physicist would believe is the correct theory." He concluded: "From a particle physics, quantum theory point of view, you have to put a lot more than just gravity into the theory to have a consistent theory and I don't think Stephen has done that. I am very doubtful about his calculations."

Prof Higgs, 79, stands to win a Nobel prize if the particle is found but Prof Hawking claims the LHC could earn the prize for him. Although it could still take up to three years for the LHC to prove him right, Prof Higgs admits he will be "surprised and disappointed" if it turns out not to be so.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/11/scicern411.xml

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Sounds like a proxy catfight between phenomenologists and string theorists...

[ixion]

1. Higgs' rationale for dismissing Hawkins work is very poor

He hasn't actually READ the paper, but he's happy to dismiss it out-of-hand because of another paper on a different topic, the math contain therein -- he's thinks -- doesn't do it, therefore "it's not good enough".

What the hell kind of academic response is that? Ah yes... a PURELY academic one. That is: meaningless and toothless and poorly constructed.

[joshcryer]

5. As another poster pointed out, the Standard Model has survived serious scrutiny.

While I might agree with Hawking that it would be more exciting for Higgs not to be found, that doesn't mean there's a basis for it not being found. There's an almost absolute certainity that it will be found.

And hopefully the string theorists will stfu and go home.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. And still has a number of serious flaws

The Standard Model has survived mainly because of the principle: "Given an array of equally unlikely possibilities, select the possibility that causes the least damage to what has already been established."

I once heard dark energy compared to democracy, in that both are terrible ideas but the best we've managed to come up with.

:hi:

[Duppers]

8. WTF?!

"There's an almost absolute certainty that it will be found."

Wish there were a way I could wager some cash that the Higgs boson will be a no show.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Well, I suppose Higgs has reason to be defensive--he was so scorned for so long.

But science is not really of matter of who's right and who's wrong. Being right and being wrong can both be very useful. The scientist with the wrong theory might spur another scientist to do the calculations or experiments that lead to the right theory--i.e., the theory that most successfully predicts what will happen in the real world. No scientific theory is ever actually entirely "right"; it's just the best we can do with the given thinkers, methods and information. Rigorous arguments and refutations are a vital part of arriving at the "best" theory.

This sounds like a case for a double Nobel. The one who was "right" and the one who was "wrong" should both get the prize. Both have been essential to the process of discovery.

[kurth_]

3. Higgs provided a crucial link in the Standard Model

which is the most successful scientific theory for the universe as far as we know. Hawking is overhyped, and his contributions are mostly in cosmology and not in particle physics per se.

[Johonny]

4. I agree

[Duppers]

9. wrong answers

should be rewarded?

You're not on McSame staff, are you?

:rofl:

[phantom power]

7. Hadron-Dome! Two go in! One comes out!

Two go in! One comes out!