Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 66 (9164 total)
2 online now:
Newest Member: ChatGPT
Post Volume: Total: 916,481 Year: 3,738/9,624 Month: 609/974 Week: 222/276 Day: 62/34 Hour: 1/4


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Higgs Boson
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(3)
Message 18 of 81 (666607)
06-29-2012 4:13 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by Trixie
06-28-2012 8:06 AM


Re: Rumours
Hearing a rumour that both independent experiments are now at 4 standard deviations. Together it may mean that they are now at the magic 5 sigma. Any thoughts, gossip etc?
I heard they found the Higgs boson and it's gay.
Edited by Dr Adequate, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Trixie, posted 06-28-2012 8:06 AM Trixie has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 19 by Heathen, posted 06-29-2012 5:25 AM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 29 of 81 (667390)
07-06-2012 4:58 PM



  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 35 of 81 (667658)
07-10-2012 11:25 PM
Reply to: Message 34 by foreveryoung
07-10-2012 10:59 PM


Re: Rumours
I didn't think statistics applied in particle physics.
You live and learn.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 34 by foreveryoung, posted 07-10-2012 10:59 PM foreveryoung has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 42 of 81 (667699)
07-11-2012 12:08 PM
Reply to: Message 40 by foreveryoung
07-11-2012 11:51 AM


Re: Rumours
To me, what the statistics say is that "something" is going on to produce the extra photons that is not random or by chance. Why is it the science community all convinced this "something" is their long sought after higgs boson?
If you look at what the scientists have been saying to the press, they're not completely convinced. What they've found is something which in one respect looks like the Higgs boson would look like if it existed. They now want to do more experiments to confirm that it looks like a Higgs boson should look in other respects. So what they said in their press conference was that they've found a "Higgs-like" particle.
Now one reason to think it is the Higgs is that if the standard model is right, that would be the last undiscovered boson. But since they are in effect trying to find out if the standard model is correct, they can't use that as a sure basis for saying that it is the Higgs boson, otherwise they'd be guilty of circular reasoning: "The standard model is correct, so we've found the Higgs boson, so the standard model is correct".
Hence their cautious use of phrases such as "Higgs-like".

This message is a reply to:
 Message 40 by foreveryoung, posted 07-11-2012 11:51 AM foreveryoung has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 43 by foreveryoung, posted 07-12-2012 2:41 AM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(3)
Message 48 of 81 (667820)
07-12-2012 1:19 PM
Reply to: Message 47 by foreveryoung
07-12-2012 1:17 PM


Re: Rumours
But the standard theory does predict the existence of zero point energy. That's how scientists knew it was there.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 47 by foreveryoung, posted 07-12-2012 1:17 PM foreveryoung has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(2)
Message 54 of 81 (668254)
07-19-2012 2:20 AM
Reply to: Message 53 by foreveryoung
07-19-2012 2:00 AM


Re: Rumours
There is no such thing as a photon.
I'm so glad we've cleared that up. I wonder if they can retroactively take Einstein's Nobel Prize away and give it to you instead.
One thing still puzzles me: what does a single-photon detector detect?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 53 by foreveryoung, posted 07-19-2012 2:00 AM foreveryoung has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 55 by foreveryoung, posted 07-19-2012 2:26 AM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(2)
Message 56 of 81 (668257)
07-19-2012 3:11 AM
Reply to: Message 55 by foreveryoung
07-19-2012 2:26 AM


Re: Rumours
Can I see your data?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 55 by foreveryoung, posted 07-19-2012 2:26 AM foreveryoung has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 59 by foreveryoung, posted 07-19-2012 12:57 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 64 of 81 (668323)
07-19-2012 8:30 PM
Reply to: Message 59 by foreveryoung
07-19-2012 12:57 PM


Re: Rumours
What are you talking about?
The data you have which supports your assertions. What, it doesn't exist?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 59 by foreveryoung, posted 07-19-2012 12:57 PM foreveryoung has not replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 306 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 78 of 81 (709878)
10-30-2013 4:57 PM


Question
Could someone explain to me in layman's terms why these experiments only give a greater and greater probability of the Higgs boson existing? One doesn't have the same difficulty when detecting the existence of a giraffe.
Thanks.

Replies to this message:
 Message 79 by NosyNed, posted 10-30-2013 6:35 PM Dr Adequate has not replied
 Message 80 by AZPaul3, posted 10-30-2013 7:08 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024