Guide Note

The God Particle is the unofficial name for the Higgs boson, a theoretical subatomic particle. Although current models in particle physics predict that it exists, direct evidence of the Higgs boson has yet to be discovered.

Fast Facts

1. Official name: Higgs boson
2. Theorized by physicist Peter Higgs
3. Nickname "The God Particle" was coined by Nobel Prize winner, Leon Lederman
4. Particle is predicted by the Standard Model of Particle Physics
5. Is the last unverified component of the Standard Model¹
6. Scientists use particle accelerators to try and isolate an example of the "God Particle"
7. Cannot be successfully isolated in any current facilities
8. The Large Hadron Collider, when complete, will be able to perform necessary procedures¹

Particle accelerator facilities use high-powered electric fields to push subatomic particles to extremely high speeds. By firing two such streams at one another, scientists can create and study new particles that may not occur naturally in our environment.