A theory rewarded
Fifty years ago, when physicists Peter Higgs and Francois Englert first suggested that the existence of a particle called the Higgs boson could explain how particles have mass, the idea was purely theoretical. No evidence of such a particle existed. Over the next five decades, researchers around the world, including many at Harvard, worked to prove that the elusive particle was a reality. Last year, scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced that they had detected the particle, proving that Higgs and Englert’s theoretical prediction had been correct. In recognition of that, Higgs and Englert on Tuesday were named the recipients of the 2013 Nobel Prize in physics. Following the announcement, Harvard faculty who participated in the Higgs hunt said they were honored to have had the chance to contribute to what Joao Guimaraes da Costa, associate professor of physics, called “the discovery of the century.” “Finding the Higgs was a...