Sunday, August 12, 2012

Is the Higgs Boson Really the "God Particle"?

Scientists from Europe's CERN research center presented evidence in early July for a particle that is probably the Higgs boson, the last remaining elementary particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics.  In the Standard Model, particles have mass due to their interaction with the Higgs field.  The Higgs Boson is the basic particle which is associated with this field.

Although this Higgs Boson has been nicknamed the "God particle," it is widely agreed that the name is more for publicity than accuracy, and many physicists do not like the name.

Even if this discovery is eventually confirmed, and the Higgs Boson becomes an official member of the particles that are predicted by the Standard Model, do those of us who believe that God himself is the Creator need to regard the Higgs Boson as a challenge to our belief?

Absolutely not.

The Higgs Boson, assuming that it is eventually confirmed, did not create anything.  It is an important part of the Standard Model and may explain how things in the universe experience "mass", but it did not create itself.  The Higgs Boson had to be created somehow, just like all of the other elementary particles in the Standard Model.

God the Creator, in the person of Jesus, created everything, including the Higgs Boson.

If you would like to read more about the details regarding the Higgs Boson, I recommend a few of these resources:

ICR Science Update, 7-13-2012, "The Higgs Boson: A Blow to Christianity?"

ICR Science Update, 7-6-2012, "Have Scientists Found the 'God' Particle? "

Reuters article, 7-4-2012, "It's a boson:" Higgs quest bears new particle

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