Physics (Internal)

The Lord of the Rings and Mr. Higgs' Boson: What Next?

This event is part of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.

Abstract: The recent discovery of the Higgs Boson by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the Lord of Rings, sheds new light on the intimate connection between infinitely small elementary particles, the nature of the quantum vacuum, and the infinitely large (the first nanoseconds of our Universe). I discuss this long-term collective quest…the Fellowship of the Rings…and the scientific, technological, economic, and societal benefits of this global-scale endeavor. I describe a strategy to further unravel the mysteries of infinitesimal matter and of the observable Universe as a future worldwide endeavor…the Return of the Rings.