Seriously, stop calling it the "God Particle"

[GeneWard]

You people are misguided, blind bigots. Go to a church if you want to hear the truth, not the liberal lies spread by the likes of scientists. Na, I'm just fucking with you, but I've never heard of a "God Particle," only the Higgs-Boson. Instant kudos for working at CERN though, coolest job ever. Also, nice job trying to explain things to that guy, I always get really frustrated when someone can't comprehend what I'm trying to tell them and forget that not everyone is knowledgeable in the same things as I am.

 

[CAMDAWG]

I see your point completely, however I disagree slightly. I can imagine it being irritating to come across these kinds of people, I think that the nickname has contributed to a larger coverage in popular media, and while a lot of that coverage may be lacking in detail, or incredibly dumbed down, or other methods of general incorrect-ness, at least it's bringing (limited) physics to the masses. Which may ultimately inspire some young people to enter the field, and that can only be a good thing.

Referring to the Higg's as "the god particle" will naturally garner more attention from laypeople than it's actual name.

Plus, if creationists start picking up on the Higg's, maybe evolutionary biologists might get a rest...

A little background: First year uni student, relatively capable with physics, working towards a physics major, masters/phd, etc... I don't actually refer to the Higg's as "the god particle",

I also recommend reading Leon Lederman's book that started it all. As far as popular science books go, it's up there with the best.

 

[brunothepig]

You'll probably be happy to hear that I've literally NEVER heard it referred to as the "God Particle". Always the Higgs Boson.

You'll probably be happier to hear that ZeroMachine isn't alone. I have never heard the term God Particle, although, yeah it's understandable why it stuck.

 

[Exterminas]

Cool Story Bro, but I have to agree that I never head anyone use that expression before.

Must be a Sun-Fox/News-Kind-of-thing.

 

[TimeLord]

I thought the term 'God Particle' was just supposed to convey it's imporance, not to have anything to do with god or what not.

 

[Mr. 47]

While the name does represent the particles affects rather well, I agree. It makes some religious groups irritated to have their god compared to a particle. I find it kind of funny how people view this as belief, or disbelief, in god. It has a 'blasphemous' nickname, but that doesn't make the particle 'against god.' Most monotheistic, if not all, believe that god created everything, this is just something else he/she/it created, god just used it a lot.

Kind of nice to know that there are great scientists among us gamers, shows that we're all not a bunch of 12 year olds and murderers.

 

[chuketek]

What are you doing on this website? You should be with LHC practicing science!

Now go do science!

and lo, xkcd did say: http://xkcd.com/303/

...Here's his website: http://www.badscience.net/
Why not start something like that for particle physics? With that whole CERN=destroyer of worlds, and that "God's particle" malarkey, you should have plenty of starting material.

...would you be interested in doing an IAMA here?

See, this is one of the reasons I love the internet. It lets people who actually know what they're talking about reach out to anyone who's genuinely searching for the answers.
Doing my own one seems like far too much work.
Also, at the risk of breaking my apparently knowledgeable image, what's an IAMA?
Google tells me:
International Artist Managers' Association
International Antiquarian Mapsellers Association
International Acoustic Music Awards
etc. etc.

 

[orangeapples]

I guess there should have been a catchier name than 'Higgs Boson'

Science really does need to find more fun names for different things like this. Most regular people will not remember something like 'Higgs Boson', sadly that would be asking a lot from them. If a regular person were looking at the words 'Higgs Boson' and 'God Particle', the first is two unfamiliar words and the second are words that make for an easy understanding.

Remember Laminin?

Trying to remember scientific names is hard. You science people need to pick simpler words.

 

[Handbag1992]

Somewhat similar to Stem Cells, although "Stem Cell" is the proper name. There are entire groups of people that think scientists are monsters that harvest the brain-stems of newborn babies. We get Stem Cells from the umbilical cord.

 

[chuketek]

You people are misguided, blind bigots. Go to a church if you want to hear the truth, not the liberal lies spread by the likes of scientists. Na, I'm just fucking with you

Damn, you had me going for a second there.

 

[Owlslayer]

Well, i didn't know it was being called a God particle, and i won't call it that, either.
So... good, i guess?

 

[Mr. Google]

Ive never even heard God Particle before but 1. Awesome job keep up the good work I could never do that stuff I'm not smart enough. 2. That part at the end about "You should read it sometime" would have pissed me off so much. Unless it was a friend I would have told them off. Kudos to you for keeping your cool.

 

[MassiveGeek]

Thank you for the interesting post, and fuck me, but "God Particle"? It doesn't sound cool, it sounds retarded.

I'll probably be looking into this, it seems really interesting.

 

[GoodOmens]

Wait who ever called it that?

Leon Lederman, in his 1994 book "The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question?" He did sort of win a Nobel Prize in Physics, so he sort of knows what he's talking about. I'm not sure if he was the first to use the name, and I doubt he meant it with any explicitly religious connotations

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

Anyone believes the term "God Particle" has anything more than a completely superficial religious significance is an idiot. It is simply a term used to indicate the importance of this particular particle. It is astounding that people can honestly believe that scientist would ever make such a costly initiative to prove or disprove any sort of deity.

Pretty much this. It is an apt nickname and shouldn't be sabotaged by idiots. If he thought that telling you to read a creation myth would make you a theist, he already had a preconceived notion of how things worked and your explanation wasn't going to do dick.

However, I did enjoy your OP post since I didn't know the whole Electromagnetism connects everything part. I probably should have but that is bad on me and I appreciate the snippet of education.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

What are you doing on this website? You should be with LHC practicing science!

Now go do science!

and lo, xkcd did say: http://xkcd.com/303/

...Here's his website: http://www.badscience.net/
Why not start something like that for particle physics? With that whole CERN=destroyer of worlds, and that "God's particle" malarkey, you should have plenty of starting material.

...would you be interested in doing an IAMA here?

See, this is one of the reasons I love the internet. It lets people who actually know what they're talking about reach out to anyone who's genuinely searching for the answers.
Doing my own one seems like far too much work.
Also, at the risk of breaking my apparently knowledgeable image, what's an IAMA?
Google tells me:
International Artist Managers' Association
International Antiquarian Mapsellers Association
International Acoustic Music Awards
etc. etc.

IAMA=I am a. It's basically a Q&A session that's very popular on reddit. You write a brief introduction "IAMA physicist working at CERN," people ask their questions, and you respond for however long you want. Given that you have such an amazing job (seriously, I would pack my bags and move to Geneva in a heartbeat if there were any use for a 20-something nerd pursuing a MS degree in theoretical chemistry at CERN), I think it would be a great opportunity for the people here to learn about CERN, particle/theoretical physics, and what being a scientist working in one of the most impressive laboratories on earth is like.

 

[CAMDAWG]

Wait who ever called it that?

Leon Lederman, in his 1994 book "The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question?" He did sort of win a Nobel Prize in Physics, so he sort of knows what he's talking about. I'm not sure if he was the first to use the name, and I doubt he meant it with any explicitly religious connotations

Yep, he was the first. He said in a foreword added to a newer edition that it was initially a joke, and a working title for the book that ended up sticking. I think somewhere else he said he disliked it (in my own words) because it offended physicists, as it over-exaggerated the importance, and it offended the highly religious because, well, it used the word god, and therefore undermines them.

But don't quote me on the second part, I can't remember where it's from.

 

[Treefingers]

Uhh... never heard of this 'God Particle' talk you're referring to.

 

[SiNCry]

Well, I have to say, that was a rather enjoyable read.
To answer your question, no, I don't think we can stop calling it the God Particle. It just (to some) sounds better and, as you said, creates an image. I don't call it that, I just think people will always call it the "God Particle".

 

[Saltyk]

Well, next will be the "Jesus Particle". Then, the "Buddha Particle". Then, the "Muhammad Particle". Then, the, um... "Satan Particle"?

I can just imagine the firestorm right now: "Don't research the Satan particle!".

Just wait until they start researching the "Armageddon Particle". All the crazies will start predicting the "End Times".
[sub]So, basically it'll be a Tuesday.[/sub]