The British Nobel Prize winner in physics Peter Higgs is dead. The 94-year-old died at his home on Monday, the University of Edinburgh announced.
He had spent most of his career at the university. The Englishman became world famous with his theory on the mass of elementary particles. The discovery of the Higgs boson – also called the “God particle” – at the Cern research center in Switzerland catapulted the theorist into the physics hall of fame.
Together with the Belgian François Englert, Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013 for the prediction of the mass particle. “Peter Higgs was a remarkable human being – a truly gifted scientist whose vision and imagination enriched our knowledge of the world around us,” said University of Edinburgh Vice-Chancellor Peter Mathieson. “His pioneering work has motivated thousands of scientists, and his legacy will inspire many generations to come.”
Higgs was born on May 29, 1929 in Newcastle upon Tyne, northeast England, the son of a sound engineer. As a child he suffered from asthma and was initially taught by his mother. In addition to his academic career, he was also politically active. Until his death, the scientist was very popular with colleagues and the media. Over time, Higgs gave interviews less and less, preferring to focus on music, films and books and, above all, with his family, as a spokeswoman for the University of Edinburgh once said.