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The Higgs Field, explained - Don Lincoln

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One of the most significant scientific discoveries of the early 21st century is surely the Higgs boson, but the boson and the Higgs Field that allows for that magic particle are extremely difficult to grasp. Don Lincoln outlines an analogy (originally conceived by David Miller) that all of us can appreciate, starring a large dinner party, a raucous group of physicists, and Peter Higgs himself.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Don Lincoln
  • Producer Powerhouse Animation Studios Inc.
  • Director Megan Kluck
  • Artist Kellan Stover, Chris Beaver
  • Animator Louie Granda, Ryan Cullen
  • Narrator Don Lincoln
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Here are some videos on the Higgs boson which give different analogies
For TED-CERNx
By Don Lincoln
Here's one from CERN; and here's another.
Some books:
The Quantum Frontier: The Large Hadron Collider, by Don Lincoln
Understanding the Universe: From Quarks to the Cosmos, by Don Lincoln
Massive: The Missing Particle that Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science, by Ian Sample
Higgs, by Jim Baggott
The Particle at the End of the Universe, by Sean Carroll
Website:
http://cms.web.cern.ch/news/about-higgs-boson
http://www.atlas.ch/news/2012/atlas-and-the-higgs.html
See the TED Blog post about the Lessons TED-Ed did with CERN.
This video illustrates an analogy for the Higgs mechanism first proposed by physicist David Miller in response to a challenge by British Science Minister William Waldegrave.
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TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
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Is study of the subatomic realm a useful endeavor for mankind to expend resources on?
The observation of the Higgs boson is the culmination of a long program to test the Standard Model of particle physics.
08/27/2013 • 
 43 Responses
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Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Don Lincoln
  • Producer Powerhouse Animation Studios Inc.
  • Director Megan Kluck
  • Artist Kellan Stover, Chris Beaver
  • Animator Louie Granda, Ryan Cullen
  • Narrator Don Lincoln

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