No. I am and stay sad, because there could be so much flight of fancy in what happened, and we got instead something that sounds like they just discovered a new, smaller gnat. The poem completely misses the key point of the Higgs boson, namely that if it hadn't been there we would have to throw away half of the physics we have. This is not a victory for experimental science: it's a triumph of theory, of the power of the mind. I'm sorry, but I can't care for a poem, when its subject matter so upsets me. In light of the current, ongoing attacks on science and science education (they had an op-ed on the NYT advocating making algebra non mandatory) comparing a fantastic scientific discovery to superstition is more than I can tolerate.
At least Updike's poem reflected current status of physics when written (neutrinos in 1960 were pretty new, and they're still mysterious).
no subject
The poem completely misses the key point of the Higgs boson, namely that if it hadn't been there we would have to throw away half of the physics we have. This is not a victory for experimental science: it's a triumph of theory, of the power of the mind.
I'm sorry, but I can't care for a poem, when its subject matter so upsets me. In light of the current, ongoing attacks on science and science education (they had an op-ed on the NYT advocating making algebra non mandatory) comparing a fantastic scientific discovery to superstition is more than I can tolerate.
At least Updike's poem reflected current status of physics when written (neutrinos in 1960 were pretty new, and they're still mysterious).