Scientists Make Tentative Announcement About Higgs Boson Discovery

It was reported last week that it was believed physicists would be making a major announcement about the search for the Higgs boson this week. That announcement came Tuesday morning as many eagerly awaited to see if the long-sought-after particle had, at last been found. The announcement, however, was tentative at best.

According to CERN, the announcement was cautious that particles collided at the Large Hadron Collider may have found traces of the particle. The Higgs boson was first theorized by the now-82-year-old British physicists Peter Higgs back in 1964. Higgs stated that the Higgs boson was the missing link that would unify the grand theory of matter and energy.

Today the scientists crammed an auditorium to hear the announcement. Physicists say that they believe they have seen traces of the elusive particle, but not enough to declare that they have officially discovered the Higgs boson. As such, their is caution in their announcement and from Higgs himself.

The theory behind the Higgs boson is that the subatomic particle gave mass and energy to mass shortly after the Big Bang. This important feat has led some to call the Higgs boson the "God particle."

To many, this could be the physics discovery of the 21st century. The Large Hadron Collider, located in Switzerland, was created, in part, to specifically look for the Higgs boson. The collider takes particles and smashes them together and near-light-speed. The explosions of the particles create a kind of mini-Big Bang that physicists then study.

The Higgs boson is so small and exists for such a short length of time that scientists can only look for it by studying what the particles decay into after they burst into life. Scientists are looking for a specific combinations of decaying particles to try and find the Higgs boson.

For physicists, much hinges on the discovery of this particle. If the particle is discovered it could prove much of what is currently considered theoretical physics. If it is proven not to exist, it could undermine the foundation of what many believe to be the very basis of creation and our existence.

Scientists have been saying for some time now that they believed they were narrowing down the possible locations for the subatomic particle. They now think they have it cornered, but stated they may need up to another year of particle collisions to be sure about their discovery.