Impressing with Physics (Misconceptions about the Higgs)

The Higgs boson has been cycled through the media a lot recently. And, as is common with the media, a dark cloud follows has been following it around. Physics Professor, Mike Kruse, has explained some of the major parts of the dark cloud, in a little article from Duke University: "Top 5 common misconceptions about the Higgs particle"

The first misconception is, at first sight, just being a little bit pedantic about the wording:

Misconception: The Higgs particle gives other particles mass.
Correction: The masses of fundamental particles come from interactions with the Higgs field.

But this is a lesson to all of our Scholars, as it is so tempting to leave actual physics aside, in favour of a more colourful and dramatic explanation.

Theother misconceptions are a mixture of technicalities:

Misconception: The Higgs field generates the mass of everything.
Correction: The Higgs field generates the mass of about one percent of observable matter and possibly all of dark matter.


Bizarrities:

Misconception: There was a "eureka moment" for discovering the Higgs boson and the existence of the Higgs field.
Correction: There will never be eureka moments for discoveries such as the Higgs boson and the Higgs field at the Large Hadron Collider.


And good, simple, misconceptions:


 Misconception: The Higgs field is what scientists used to call the aether.
 Correction: The Higgs field isn't a medium; it's a field of energy.


Misconception: The Higgs boson creates the Higgs field.
 Correction: The Higgs field generates the Higgs boson.



So, if you are using physics to impress someone, either tell 'em it straight, or remember the truth afterwards. We all use physics to impress people, from time to time.



The full article about misconceptions:
http://today.duke.edu/2012/11/higgsmisconceptions