Higgs Boson Too Mainstream for Hipsters?

image
Published: 06 Jul, 2012
Updated: 21 Nov, 2022
1 min read

It's been a monumental week for physicists, who have found the "strongest indication to date" to prove the existence of the Higgs boson particle, or the "God particle."

And while scientists around the world celebrate the discovery, most people are unaware of the implications, that is, if they even know what the Higgs boson particle is to begin with.

Motherboard TV went to the streets of Williamsburg to interview hipsters on their knowledge of the Higgs boson, most of which had never heard of it. Maybe the discovery was just too mainstream...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3-4Ez7Kc-o

Some totally non-cliche responses included:

"When you said Higgs, I immediately thought of a hick.""Sounds like a band, like a metal band or something.""Sounds like a concert venue.""Sounds like magic.""A creepy European man."

Two people correctly identified the Higgs boson particle as the "God particle," one of which wrote a poem about it, and the other a self-identified "nerd."

Still confused about the Higgs Boson? Read This. 

Latest articles

Tulsi Gabbard
Is Tulsi Gabbard Being Sidelined by Another Party?
Tulsi Gabbard can’t seem to catch a break, no matter which party or administration she joins. First, she was ostracized by the Democratic Party in 2016 when she spoke out against the party’s unfair treatment against Bernie Sanders. At the time, she was a sitting Democratic congresswoman and DNC vice chair....
26 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read
A gas station with cannabis products on the pump with the US Capitol building in the background.
Congress Moves to Ban Unregulated, Intoxicating Hemp Being Sold at Gas Stations Nationwide
In a late-session vote last week, House Republicans advanced a sweeping change to federal hemp policy that could outlaw a wide range of intoxicating hemp products, sometimes referred to as “gas station weed,” as the hemp Farm Bill loopholes become a major policy issue in many states, including California, Tennessee and Texas....
26 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
NYC open primaries picket.
On Primary Day, NY Orgs Picket on Behalf of 3.5 Million Disenfranchised Voters
Much of the election coverage on Tuesday focused on the New York primaries, especially in NYC and the hotly contested ranked choice election for mayor. What got less attention, however, were the 3.5 million independent voters in the state locked out of elections they paid for....
25 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read