https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/09/peter-higgs-physicist-who-discovered-higgs-boson-dies-aged-94 [p] Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1Next imagePrevious imageToggle caption Skip to navigation Print subscriptions Sign in Search jobs Search US edition[ ] * US edition * UK edition * Australia edition * International edition * Europe edition The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian [ ] * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle ShowMoreShow More * [ ]News + View all News + US news + US elections 2024 + World news + Environment + Ukraine + Soccer + Business + Tech + Science + Newsletters + Wellness * [ ]Opinion + View all Opinion + The Guardian view + Columnists + Letters + Opinion videos + Cartoons * [ ]Sport + View all Sport + Soccer + NFL + Tennis + MLB + MLS + NBA + NHL + F1 + Golf * [ ]Culture + View all Culture + Film + Books + Music + Art & design + TV & radio + Stage + Classical + Games * [ ]Lifestyle + View all Lifestyle + Wellness + Fashion + Food + Recipes + Love & sex + Home & garden + Health & fitness + Family + Travel + Money * Search input [ ] google-search Search + Support us + Print subscriptions * [ ]US edition + UK edition + Australia edition + International edition + Europe edition * + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us + The Guardian app + Video + Podcasts + Pictures + Inside the Guardian + Guardian Weekly + Crosswords + Wordiply + Corrections * + Facebook + Twitter * + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us * UK * UK politics * Education * Media * Society * Law * Scotland * Wales * Northern Ireland Prof Peter Higgs in his old office at Edinburgh University with a description of the Higgs model, written by him on the blackboard. [ ] Prof Peter Higgs in his office at Edinburgh University in 2007 with a description of the Higgs model on the blackboard behind him. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Prof Peter Higgs in his office at Edinburgh University in 2007 with a description of the Higgs model on the blackboard behind him. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian Peter Higgs Peter Higgs, physicist who proposed Higgs boson, dies aged 94 Nobel-prize winning physicist who showed how particle helped bind universe together died at home in Edinburgh Severin Carrell and Ian Sample Tue 9 Apr 2024 12.54 EDTFirst published on Tue 9 Apr 2024 12.14 EDT Share Peter Higgs, the Nobel prize-winning physicist who proposed a new particle known as the Higgs boson, has died. Higgs, 94, who was awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 2013 for his work in 1964 showing how the boson helped bind the universe together by giving particles their mass, died at home in Edinburgh on Monday. After a series of experiments, which began in earnest in 2008, his theory was proven by physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern in Switzerland in 2012; the Nobel prize was shared with Francois Englert, a Belgian theoretical physicist whose work in 1964 also contributed directly to the discovery. Peter Higgs interview: 'I have this kind of underlying incompetence' Read more A member of the Royal Society and a Companion of Honour, Higgs spent the bulk of his professional life at Edinburgh University, which set up the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics in his honour in 2012. Prof Peter Mathieson, the university's principal, said: "Peter Higgs was a remarkable individual - a truly gifted scientist whose vision and imagination have enriched our knowledge of the world that surrounds us. "His pioneering work has motivated thousands of scientists, and his legacy will continue to inspire many more for generations to come." Prof Fabiola Gianotti, the director general at Cern and former leader of the Atlas experiment, which helped discover the Higgs particle in 2012, said: "Besides his outstanding contributions to particle physics, Peter was a very special person, a man of rare modesty, a great teacher and someone who explained physics in a very simple and profound way. "An important piece of Cern's history and accomplishments is linked to him. I am very saddened, and I will miss him sorely." The evening before the discovery of the particle was announced, Peter was invited to a small celebration at the home of John Ellis, the former head of theory at Cern. "A giant of particle physics has left us," Ellis told the Guardian. "Without his theory, atoms could not exist and radioactivity would be a force as strong as electricity and magnetism. "His prediction of the existence of the particle that bears his name was a deep insight, and its discovery at Cern in 2012 was a crowning moment that confirmed his understanding of the way the Universe works." Jon Butterworth, a member of the Atlas collaboration, said Higgs was "a hero to the particle physics community". "Even though he didn't much enjoy it, he felt a responsibility to use the public profile his achievements brought him for the good of science, and he did so many times. The particle that carries his name is perhaps the single most stunning example of how seemingly abstract mathematical ideas can make predictions which turn out to have huge physical consequences." The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel, said at the time the standard model of physics which underpins the scientific understanding of the universe "rests on the existence of a special kind of particle: the Higgs particle. This particle originates from an invisible field that fills up all space. "Even when the universe seems empty this field is there. Without it, we would not exist, because it is from contact with the field that particles acquire mass. The theory proposed by Englert and Higgs describes this process." An immensely shy man who disliked the fuss, Higgs had left home for a quiet lunch of soup and trout in Leith on the day of the announcement, to be stopped by a former neighbour who gave him the news on his way home. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Higgs leaves two sons, Chris and Jonny, his daughter-in-law Suzanne and two grandchildren. His wife, Jody, a linguistics lecturer from whom he was separated, died in 2008. Explore more on these topics * Peter Higgs * Higgs boson * Particle physics * Physics * Scotland * Nobel prizes * People in science * news Share Reuse this content More on this story More on this story * [Nobel-priz] Peter Higgs interview: 'I have this kind of underlying incompetence' 6 Dec 2013 ... ... comments * [Peter-Higg] Peter Higgs: I wouldn't be productive enough for today's academic system 6 Dec 2013 ... ... comments * [1350] Cern aims to build EUR20bn collider to unlock secrets of universe 5 Feb 2024 * [Peter-Higg] Father of 'the God particle' Peter Higgs says fame is a bit of a nuisance 17 Feb 2014 ... ... comments * [3500] Cern gears up for more discoveries 10 years after 'God particle' find 4 Jul 2022 * [1209] Getting to the bottom of the Higgs boson 17 Jul 2017 ... ... comments * [846] From gravity to the Higgs we're still waiting for new physics 24 Mar 2017 ... ... comments * [5580] Is the Standard Model isolated? 12 Mar 2017 ... ... comments Most viewed Most viewed * UK * UK politics * Education * Media * Society * Law * Scotland * Wales * Northern Ireland * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning Sign up for our email * About us * Help * Complaints & corrections * SecureDrop * Work for us * * Privacy policy * Cookie policy * Terms & conditions * Contact us * All topics * All writers * Digital newspaper archive * Facebook * YouTube * Instagram * LinkedIn * Twitter * Newsletters * Advertise with us * Guardian Labs * Search jobs Back to top (c) 2024 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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