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SPQR · 10-29-2004, 10:27 PM

I would probably answer "the Higgs boson."

Generally when we think of "matter" in the vernacular sense, we're takling about stuff with mass to it, like bowling balls or planets, but generally not massless stuff like "light" or "space." So what makes matter matter? What gives matter its mass? Enter the Higgs boson.

The Higgs boson is a still hypothetical (although maybe not for long!) particle that is said to give matter particles their mass. Some good descriptions of it can be found here: http://www.phy.uct.ac.za/courses/phy...icle/higgs.htm

Basically the Higgs boson can be pictured as a field in space that interacts with particles and makes them act like they have "mass" in the sense we're familiar with.

Here's another article that shows current efforts to detect the Higgs boson, which is also called the "god particle":
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_cern_dc

Hope this answer is something close to what you're looking for.

10-29-2004, 10:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
SPQR Upright	I would probably answer "the Higgs boson." Generally when we think of "matter" in the vernacular sense, we're takling about stuff with mass to it, like bowling balls or planets, but generally not massless stuff like "light" or "space." So what makes matter matter? What gives matter its mass? Enter the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is a still hypothetical (although maybe not for long!) particle that is said to give matter particles their mass. Some good descriptions of it can be found here: http://www.phy.uct.ac.za/courses/phy...icle/higgs.htm Basically the Higgs boson can be pictured as a field in space that interacts with particles and makes them act like they have "mass" in the sense we're familiar with. Here's another article that shows current efforts to detect the Higgs boson, which is also called the "god particle": http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...cience_cern_dc Hope this answer is something close to what you're looking for.