Peter Higgs, the theoretical physicist who predicted the existence of the Higgs boson, passed away at the age of 94. The University of Edinburgh confirmed his death on April 8 after a brief illness. Higgs was a professor emeritus at the university, where he worked from 1960 until his retirement in 1996.
Higgs is most renowned for his groundbreaking work in predicting the masses of subatomic particles. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2013, along with Belgian physicist François Englert, for their 1960s work predicting the existence of the Higgs boson. This particle interacts with other particles to give them mass and was finally discovered in 2012 using the Large Hadron Collider.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in 1929, Higgs earned his doctoral degree from King’s College London in 1954. In a paper published in 1964, Higgs proposed that there exists a field that interacts with elementary particles to give them mass. The associated particle, known as the Higgs boson, was initially thought to be impossible to detect due to its rarity and quick decay. However, it was eventually discovered using advanced technology and scientific tools at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland in 2012.
The discovery of the Higgs boson confirmed Higgs’ theory and proved that without it, no other particle would have mass. Higgs was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing the news of the discovery, exclaiming that he couldn’t hold back any longer when he saw the audience’s reaction. His pioneering work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of particle physics and has led to numerous breakthroughs and discoveries within this field.
In conclusion, Peter Higgs was an exceptional physicist whose contributions will always be remembered for decades to come. His legacy continues to inspire new generations of scientists who continue to build upon his work and push forward our understanding of this fascinating field of study.
