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When
Peter Higgs first proposed that an invisible field strewn across space
gave mass to the building blocks of the universe, the theory was
ridiculed by some of the most respected minds of the time.
His first
paper was rejected by a journal, while other scientists accused him and
his colleagues of failing to grasp the basic principles of physics.
Despite
the slights, Prof Higgs - at the time a 34-year-old physicist at
Edinburgh University - was convinced his idea was right, although he
never envisaged being able to prove it.
Yesterday
(Wednesday), 48 years on, his radical concept was finally proved correct
by a team of physicists at the Cern laboratory using a £6 billion piece
of equipment designed to uncover the secrets of the universe.
Announcing
the latest results from the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, scientists
confirmed they had discovered a new particle bearing the hallmarks of a
Higgs Boson.
The Higgs
Boson helps to explain how fundamental particles gain their mass; a
property which allows them to bind together and form stars and planets
rather than whizzing around the universe at the speed of light.
Prof
Higgs, 83, who travelled to Switzerland to witness the announcement, was
visibly moved as the presentation was rounded off to tumultuous applause
from the excited audience, some of whom had waited overnight to secure
their seats. He said: "I am astounded at the amazing speed with
which these results have emerged. They are a testament to the expertise
of the researchers and the elaborate technologies in place. I never
expected this to happen in my lifetime and shall be asking my family to
put some champagne in the fridge."
Prof
Higgs has repeatedly resisted requests for interviews and comments,
insisting that the limelight should be taken by the scientists who have
proved that his theory is correct.
He has
long been uncomfortable even having his name attached to the particle,
which is seen as the missing cornerstone of the Standard Model of
physics.
The son
of a BBC sound engineer from Newcastle, he was raised in Bristol and
excelled at Cotham Grammar School.
During a
school assembly he saw the name of a former pupil, the great quantum
physicist P.A.M. Dirac, on an honours board and decided to read about his
work. Quickly hooked, he read everything he could find on the subject.
He went
on to King's College, London, where he graduated with a first-class
honours in 1950. He was denied a lectureship at the university, however,
so became a researcher at Edinburgh University.
His
"eureka" moment reportedly came in a flash of inspiration
during a walking trip to the Cairngorms. When one of his initial papers
was rejected, he insisted the journal had not understood him.
Upon
publication in 1964, he and his colleagues were ridiculed as young
pretenders and urged to abandon their research or risk "professional
suicide".
Prof
Gerry Guralnik, a US researcher who published a paper on the subject with
colleagues within months of Higgs, recalled a galling encounter with
Werner Heisenberg, the German physicist who gave his name to the famous
"uncertainty principle" of quantum mechanics. He said: "A
lot of famous people told us that we were wrong. Heisenberg told me I did
not understand the rules of physics, which is pretty scary if you are 26
and are worried about getting a job."
Yesterday,
the scientific community was united in its praise for Prof Higgs, with
some calling for him to be given a knighthood. Prof Stephen Hawking said
Prof Higgs deserved a Nobel Prize for his work, but admitted the
discovery of the new particle had come at a cost. He said: "I had a
bet with Gordon Kane of Michigan University that the Higgs particle
wouldn't be found. It seems I have just lost $100."
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