There is a void at the heart of particle physics. And it is not the quantum vacuum from which the Higgs boson emerges, but the void left by the disappearance of peter higgs himself, the theoretical physicist who predicted the existence of that particle almost 60 years ago.
Yes sir: Peter Higgs left us at the age of 94 after a short illness, and this too is history. He left us a man who dedicated his life to revealing the deepest secrets of matter, making a fundamental contribution to the standard model of physics. But his work did not end with the discovery of "his" boson: until the end, Higgs continued to explore new frontiers, from supersymmetry to the connection between particle physics and cosmology.
Today, as the scientific community mourns his loss, Peter Higgs' legacy shines brighter than ever, illuminating the path to the future of physics. And for what it's worth, this is a little "crocodile" born now, which I didn't see coming.
An intuition that changed physics
In 1964, while working as a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, Peter Higgs made a prediction that was destined to have a huge impact on the world of physics: he postulated the existence of a field that permeates the universe and that gave mass to particles within moments after the Big Bang. This field would be associated with a proper particle, which was later called proper Higgs boson.
The Higgs boson became a fundamental prediction of the standard model of particle physics, even nicknamed “the God particle”. A nickname that Higgs himself called “an unfortunate mix of theoretical physics and bad theology” in a 2017 interview with New Scientist.
After years of research to prove the existence of the Higgs boson, the discovery has finally been made. 2012, CERN in Geneva. Wonder. A year later, Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize, sacrosanct and well deserved.
A discovery that opens new questions
The discovery of the Higgs boson is commonly cited as the most important achievement of the Large Hadron Collider, but it also marked the beginning of a strange period in particle physics: with all the particles predicted by the Standard Model found, what will be next step? Peter Higgs himself hoped that we would be able to use accelerators to connect particle physics with cosmology and the search for dark matter, but these questions remain open.
Even after his retirement in 1996, Peter Higgs continued to attend physics conferences and collaborate with colleagues and students. He has often talked about supersymmetry, a theoretical framework in which every known particle has a corresponding partner particle with a different spin. If we live in a supersymmetric universe, there will be many more particles to discover.
Peter Higgs, beyond the boson
Peter Higgs' legacy goes far beyond the particle that bears his name. Higgs was a profound and original thinker, capable of seeing connections and possibilities where others saw only obstacles and limitations. His work paved the way for a new understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and the forces that govern the universe.
If we succeed in connecting particle physics with cosmology, if we discover new supersymmetric particles, if we solve the mystery of dark matter, it will be thanks to Higgs' pioneering insights and his tireless search for the truth.
This gentleman was not only a great scientist. He was also a man of profound humanity and humility, true to himself, devoted to science and sharing knowledge with colleagues and students.
Thank you, Peter Higgs. For a universe of reasons.
We can only be grateful for the gift that Peter Higgs has given us with his work and his example. For future generations of physicists it will remain a beacon, a model to follow and surpass. His ideas will continue to inspire and guide research, pushing us to ask new questions and seek ever deeper answers about the secrets of the universe.
I am writing this to you because I am certain, I feel it intimately: one day a young physicist, inspired by the example of Higgs, will make a new revolutionary discovery, opening another chapter in the history of particle physics. This end, I borrow the words of Tiziano Terzani, is in his way a new beginning.
And this farewell is a celebration in its own way.