EDITOR,
I must comment on Steven Hill's column ("Search for God particle at an end?" Chief, July 19). There certainly has been a global brouhaha over the recent discovery at CERN of something that appears to be a lot like Higgs's prediction from the 1960s. There is an even bigger brouhaha - the incessant use of the term "God Particle" by mainstream media. This gives the impression that science has finally discovered the stuff of the book of Genesis, the essential ethers that emanated from the hands of a Biblical God. This is, in fact, quite a departure from the original use of the term. It was originally coined by physicist Leon M. Lederman in the early '90s in reference to a book he wrote about the Higgs boson, titled The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? The reason it was nicknamed the "God Particle" is because it was such an elusive entity that scientists referred to it as the "Godd--mn particle," but Lederman's publisher didn't think that was appropriate. It's funny how such a little thing can become such a huge misunderstanding. Carlin was right! It sure does make for an impressive headline, though, and attracts readers.
Michael Hill
Squamish
