"God Particle" Search Narrows

From WIBC 93.1 FM (Indiana): "God Particle" Search Narrows
While Christians observe the birth of the son of God this week, scientists in Europe appear to be closing in on what's come to be known as the "God Particle."

This week, physicists working at the giant atom smasher operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research say they reduced the window where they believe they will find the Higgs-Boson particle.


The Higgs-Boson is the particle some believe is the missing link, and would explain how the building blocks of matter fit together. Brian Murphy, a physics professor with the Holcomb Observatory at Butler University, says it's a misnomer to refer to it as the "God Particle", which actually comes from the title of a book by physicist Leon Lederman.

Murphy told Ed Wenck on Indy's Afternoon News that scientists believe Higgs-Boson is the particle that gives objects their mass by interacting with other particles. He says a good metaphor would be that the particle is the mortar as opposed to the brick.

"You have the force of gravity, but the particles actually have to have some interaction or communication between each other, and its believed the Higgs-Boson is what provides that," Murphy said.

Murphy says it is difficult to predict when the particle will actually be observed or what it will mean to humankind. He says years or decades sometimes pass before scientific discoveries pay off in observable dividends.