While it has no direct bearing on theology or revelation, the scientific discovery hailed by some as the “God particle” is an important achievement, a Vatican astronomer says, reports the Catholic News Agency.
“It is a wonderful piece of science,” said Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, a researcher and spokesman at the Vatican Observatory, in an interview with CNA.
On July 4, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) publicised results suggesting it had found the elusive “Higgs boson” particle, thought to explain the physical mass of objects in the universe, by means of subatomic experiments carried on at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.
Br Consolmagno said the apparent discovery of the Higgs boson was a “delight,” particularly given the gradual progress of most physical research, and the resources invested in running the Swiss particle accelerator.
“It is nice to see such a big step occur that everybody can celebrate,” the Vatican astronomer remarked, congratulating the researchers who “finally got something out of the years and time and effort they’ve put into it.”
He also clarified that the discovery, despite its nickname, “has nothing to do with theology or God” in any direct sense.
“The name 'the God particle' was given to it as a joke by Leon Lederman,” the Vatican astronomer recalled. “It was basically a provocative title for book he was writing on particle physics.”
FULL STORY Vatican astronomer says 'God particle' is misnamed, but exciting (CNA)