6 June 2013

The next ideology: "many" Higgs bosons

Particle researchers are worried. The standard model is too successful. It describes all experiments. Without exception. Could it be that there is nothing left to be discovered? "That is impossible!" they say. So they invent the possibility of "many" Higgs bosons. The options "many" electrons, "many" neutrinos, "many" quarks, or "many" vector bosons have already been settled. There are not "many" of any of these: we know them all.

So the poor researchers are left with the option of "many" Higgs bosons. Why should there by "many" of them, or even more than one? There is no reason; but particle physicists need the money to search for them. They are experienced. They got money to search for many things that do not exist: supersymmetry, strings, other universes, other dimensions. They know from experience that they will get money to search for "more" Higgs bosons.

If the standard model would be the end of particle physics, and if researchers would admit it, the money flow would cease. So they must invent new questions. Even if they make no sense. Such as the question about "many" Higgs bosons. It is just a fairy tale invented to get more money. We will hear many more such fairy tales in the coming years.


3 comments:

  1. This little Higgs went to market.
    This little Higgs stayed at home.
    This little Higgs had roast beef.
    This little Higss had none.
    And this little Higgs went wee, wee, wee, all the way home.

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    1. I remember seeing on Wikipedia, even before the Higgs was spotted at the LHC, that there was a version of supersymmetry in which there are 5 Higgs bosons.

      I get the impression that many of the versions of supersymmetry are considered to look less appealing now that no other new particles have turned up at the LHC. If when they turn it on again, they still don't see any sparticles, then won't it be just another instance of 'the slaying of a beautiful theory by an ugly fact'?

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  2. Supersymmetry is a dead horse, but many continue to ride it.

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