I'll tell this shit ONCE: it is NOT the "god particle", it's the GODDAMN" particle! :-P

ATLAS has just announced the discovery of a new boson state at 126 GeV with 5.0 sigma significance. Their results are compatible with the Standard Model Higgs (and with the CMS results).

This is it, finally. Clearly, a lot of work remains to be done, but it's virtually certain that this is, in fact, the Higgs boson. (Or one of the Higgs bosons.)

Is it time for me to squee? Or not.

Well, this is not final: when the experiment will be replicated on a completely different machine, the scientific community will be 99,999999% certain of the Higgs boson existence....

I can't wait for the next sid's announcement about 'Civ V : God's particle & blind faith in black stufff'

Well, there are already two independent confirmations. ATLAS and CMS make use of the same accelerator, but they are entirely independent experiments. The point of having two experiments with the same physics goals at the same accelerator was to have them double-check each other's results.

Abstractly, that's actually the worst outcome research might have (barring "research folded for lack of money"). Finding the Higgs boson is a confirmation of what we already know. Now, not finding anything or finding more than one particle would be really cool, because it'd open up new physics.

However, given the recent attitudes to science, the world will hopefully benefit from another confirmation of a fundamental theory.

I know it's nitpicky, but this confirms what we've suspected. Technically until the particles are detected they're just theory. And things like that stupid String "Theory" can go on for decades if enough people are willing to waste money on it even without actually producing anything.

I am full of wonder, curiosity, and a yearning to understand the world, and its inhabitants. The difference between those grasping onto what is essentially science fiction out of vanity and the need to justify their own existence and myself is that I have recognized that PROVEN science offers enough material to study and learn without drifting into Star Trek technobabblography.

None of these so-called advanced explanations of the universe have even a shred of proof attached. Believing in string theory, alternate universes, higgs boson, and their ilk; and the key term there is BELIEF, is no different than claiming that because we are increasing the earth's temperature, that an eventual global dessertification is impending. This is the practice of using an isolated fact to support a wild theory whose foundation has thousands of other nails besides the aforementioned fact, which then gives the illusion of discovery.

I can look at the efficiency of design in my dog, the wonder of an infants speech development, or the stupefying and integral nature of the water cycle and feel infinite wonder and awe.

Just wanted to point out that String Theory is about as scientific as Astrology. In the couple decades that it's been studied they have yet to actually come up with any actual testable hypotheses.

And you're being pretty harsh if you're seriously suggesting that there isn't a shred of proof. Every discovering takes us just that much closer to more definitive understanding. And ultimately if you can't accepted testable hypotheses that are consistently valid then you are indeed going to be stuck in nihilism for a good long while.

Personally, I look at the world from the PoV of quantum mechanics and watch as one choice results in a cascade of other things happening.

Cool

No, it's not. If you look at the world like that a lot of things make more sense and I haven't found anything that was any less sensible than it is in the more normal constructs people use.

The problem is that it's not terribly uncommon for one choice to have effects other than one. Sometimes it's three or more and other times it's indistinguishable from zero.

I'd recommend actually spending some time to study science before knocking it.

anjohl, your display of ignorance and arrogance is simply embarrassing. It's okay if you don't understand science, but when you have no idea what you are talking about you should not try to present your ill-informed and entirely unfounded opinions as facts. It makes you look like a complete fool.

I am not ignorant, the person who states that theories with little to no founding in reality never is.

Sorry if I ruined your fantasy.

Hedwards, the world exists regardless of us, we are just dancing on its stage. What we do doesn't create alternate realities in which we didn't, that's a load of hogwash.

It's useful as a theoretical construct to illustrate the depths of causation, but withou a doubt, it has no scientific basis in terms of alternate realities/worlds,etc, none of which exist.