The basics of the Higgs boson - Dave Barney and Steve Goldfarb
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Let’s Begin…
In 2012, scientists at CERN discovered evidence of the Higgs boson. The
what? The Higgs boson is one of two types of fundamental particles and
is a particular game-changer in the field of particle physics, proving
how particles gain mass. Using the Socratic method, CERN scientists Dave
Barney and Steve Goldfarb explain the exciting implications of the
Higgs boson.
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Additional Resources for you to Explore
A selection of resources for understanding a little more
about the discovery of the Higgs boson and what it means:
The web sites of ATLAS, CMS and CERN all have an extensive set of materials concerning the discovery, the technology used, and the next steps
The IPPOG collection of multi-lingual education & outreach materials includes, for example, a movie showing how the Universe would be different if particle masses were different
Two papers were published in Physics Letters B, by ATLAS and CMS, on the observation of a new boson at a mass of about 125 GeV, and a more accessible version was published in Science Magazine at the end of 2012
Some of the history around the development of the Higgs field can be found in a public seminar at CERN by Prof. Frank Close and in his book “The Infinity Puzzle”
An animation from PhD Comics: “The Higgs Boson Explained,” by Jorge Cham
A video from Sixty Symbols: “Talking About The Higgs Boson”
An animated video: “The ATLAS Boogie” humorously describes the process of finding the Higgs using music
A New York Times selection of books about the Higgs Boson:
o “Massive: The Missing Particle That Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science,” by Ian Sample (Basic Books)
o “Higgs: The Invention and Discovery of the ‘God Particle,’ ” by Jim Baggott (Oxford University Press)
o “Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space,” by Lisa Randall (Bodley Head)
o “The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World,” by Sean Carroll (Dutton)
o “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” by Leon Lederman with Dick Teresi (Delta)
o “The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality,” by Brian Greene (Vintage)
Visit the TED-Ed Blog for more information about the collaboration between TED-Ed and CERN.
The web sites of ATLAS, CMS and CERN all have an extensive set of materials concerning the discovery, the technology used, and the next steps
The IPPOG collection of multi-lingual education & outreach materials includes, for example, a movie showing how the Universe would be different if particle masses were different
Two papers were published in Physics Letters B, by ATLAS and CMS, on the observation of a new boson at a mass of about 125 GeV, and a more accessible version was published in Science Magazine at the end of 2012
Some of the history around the development of the Higgs field can be found in a public seminar at CERN by Prof. Frank Close and in his book “The Infinity Puzzle”
An animation from PhD Comics: “The Higgs Boson Explained,” by Jorge Cham
A video from Sixty Symbols: “Talking About The Higgs Boson”
An animated video: “The ATLAS Boogie” humorously describes the process of finding the Higgs using music
A New York Times selection of books about the Higgs Boson:
o “Massive: The Missing Particle That Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science,” by Ian Sample (Basic Books)
o “Higgs: The Invention and Discovery of the ‘God Particle,’ ” by Jim Baggott (Oxford University Press)
o “Higgs Discovery: The Power of Empty Space,” by Lisa Randall (Bodley Head)
o “The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World,” by Sean Carroll (Dutton)
o “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” by Leon Lederman with Dick Teresi (Delta)
o “The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality,” by Brian Greene (Vintage)
Visit the TED-Ed Blog for more information about the collaboration between TED-Ed and CERN.

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