Physicist Peter Higgs died on Monday April 8, at the age of 94, the University of Edinburgh announced on Tuesday. in a press release. “He passed away peacefully at his home, following a short illness”wrote the university, of which the scientist was an emeritus professor for a long time.
“Peter Higgs was a remarkable person – a truly gifted scientist whose vision and imagination enriched our knowledge of the world around us”underlined Peter Mathieson, director of the University of Edinburgh, quoted in the press release. “His pioneering work motivated thousands of scientists, and his legacy will continue to inspire many more for generations to come”he added.
Mr. Higgs received the Nobel Prize in physics in 2013 with the Belgian François Englert for his work on the Higgs boson. Peter Higgs predicted the existence of this particle in 1964. But it took almost fifty years before its existence could be confirmed by CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located near Geneva), in July 2012, thanks to the largest particle accelerator in the world.
“I absolutely did not imagine that this would happen in my lifetime,” Mr. Higgs said in a video released after the announcement.
Theory known as the “Standard Model”
The Higgs boson is considered by physicists to be the keystone of the fundamental structure of matter, the elementary particle which gives their mass to many others, in accordance with the so-called “Standard Model” theory. In efforts to popularize this discovery, the boson was nicknamed the “God particle” because it is everywhere, while being particularly elusive – a term that displeased the atheist Mr. Higgs.
Peter Higgs, who said he hated gadgets like cell phones, said he learned he had received the Nobel in the street when a former neighbor approached him to congratulate him. ” How do I feel ? Well, obviously I’m thrilled and kind of relieved in a sense that it’s over. It took a long time to arrive”he declared.
CERN Director General Fabiola Gianotti paid tribute to the memory of“an immensely inspiring figure for physicists around the world, a man of rare modesty, a great teacher and someone who explained physics in a very simple and yet profound way”.
Born on May 29, 1929 in Newcastle, northern England, Peter Higgs held a doctorate from King’s College London and held several honorary degrees and numerous awards (Royal Society, Institute of Physics, etc.).