Particle Man

Why the Rumored Discovery of the Higgs Boson is Bad News for Particle Physics - Slate

I like the fact that scientists hope the $8 billion the EU is spending on the Large Hadron Collider doesn't produce any results. While the thought of the failure of the LHC resulting in a new particle accelerator the size of the solar system fills me with sci-fi glee, I do hope the LHC does find something. Whether it actually fills in the final element of the standard model is not my concern. Strangely, I actually find myself partially siding with the scientists who say that they hope the LHC finds something new or different. Breaking old theories is rather exciting because it means the start of something completely new. The shift in consciousness that such a break in theory would produce is incredibly enticing.