Renowned physicist Peter Higgs, best known for his groundbreaking work on the Higgs boson, has passed away. Higgs, who was famously shy, made a significant impact on our understanding of the universe with his revolutionary idea in the 1960s. His theory aimed to explain why atoms, the basic building blocks of the universe, have mass.

The discovery of the Higgs boson, often referred to as the ‘God particle,’ was a result of a 50-year search and was finally confirmed in 2012 by scientists using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. This discovery completed the standard model of particle physics and earned Higgs the Nobel Prize for physics in 2013.

Peter Higgs, born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1929, was a brilliant student who later pursued his academic career at the University of Edinburgh. Despite initial struggles to gain recognition for his theory, it was eventually published in 1964, sparking a new era in particle physics.

Following his retirement from the University of Edinburgh in 2006, Higgs continued to closely monitor developments at CERN, where scientists were using the Large Hadron Collider to search for the Higgs boson. The discovery of the particle was a significant moment in the field of physics, marking the culmination of decades of research and technological advancements.

The nickname ‘God particle,’ attributed to the Higgs boson, sparked controversy among scientists who objected to the religious connotations associated with the term. However, the significance of the discovery cannot be understated, representing a monumental achievement in the realm of evidence-based physics.

Peter Higgs’ contributions to the field of particle physics have left an indelible mark on scientific understanding, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of physicists and researchers.