How Many Higgs Bosons Does It Take To Screw-in a Light Bulb?

The comedian, Jim Carey, posed this question to the world-renowned cosmologist/physicist Stephen Hawking shortly after the discovery of said particle in 2012. Hawking was unable to answer this question. In case you are not current on your particle physics, you will find a brief explanation of the Higgs boson, here. But it is really quite simple. Higgs is a short-lived particle that sets up a field that determines the mass and characteristics of all other sub-atomic particles.

Here is another question for you. How much scientific data documenting climate change is necessary to mount a global policy to limit greenhouse gases to meet the +1.5^o C goal by 2050? This is an irrelevant question. Although governments and people love science that produces things they like, most people want governments to take care of their immediate interests and lifestyles.

By the way, regarding the above photo, Auroras are caused by magnetic storms on the Sun that pull on the Earth’s magnetic field, causing the excitation of electrons in our upper atmosphere, resulting in the emission of light. You will find this explained in more detail, here. Oh, and Carey’s question is also irrelevant because Higgs bosons do not screw-in light bulbs.

Author: Stephen Fielding Images

I'm a retired medical sociologist from the University of Rochester. Climate change is one of the two great challenges facing humanity (the other is nuclear weapons). In writing about the impact of climate change I read reputable books and articles on the topic. So when I make statements about climate change you will see a link taking you to the scientific source(s) of the information I provide. As for my independently published photobooks, each has gone through several layers of editing and peer review for both readability and accuracy. This is not to say that everything I say is accurate. Even the New York Times makes mistakes. So, if you find something that is factually incorrect, let me know. I hope you find reading my blog a positive experience. If you do, please encourage your family and friends to have a look. You can find photos from my other photo work by clicking on the My SmugMug Gallery tab, above. Best wishes, -Steve View all posts by Stephen Fielding Images