Higgs Boson

Synopsis

In 1964 Peter Higgs had a big idea about the mystery of how matter in the universe got its mass. This question has such an important place in physics that well over one billion pounds is being spent in the hope that he was right. It’s the biggest science project on Earth; the quest to find the ‘Higgs Boson’, a fundamental constituent of nature that - if it does exist - has such a central role in defining the universe that it’s also known as the God Particle.

What is the Higgs Boson? Why is it so important to scientists and how are they planning to find it?

Series

In Our Time, Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2010

Year of production

2004

Notes

Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 18 Nov 2004

Subjects

Physics

Keywords

mass; particle physics; universe; Higgs boson

Online availability

URI

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y2b7

Price

free

Delivery

Streamed

Credits

Contributor

David Wark; Jim Al-Khalili; Melvyn Bragg; Roger Cashmore

Distributor

Name

BBC Radio 4

Web

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 External site opens in new window