When you look at a vacuum in a quantum theory of fields, it isn't exactly nothing. Peter Higgs More Quotes by Peter Higgs More Quotes From Peter Higgs I never expected this to happen in my lifetime and shall be asking my family to put some champagne in the fridge. Peter Higgs my-family lifetime asking Nobody else took what I was doing seriously, so nobody would want to work with me. I was thought to be a bit eccentric and maybe cranky. Peter Higgs cranky eccentric want This summer I have discovered something totally useless. Peter Higgs useless summer There is a sort of mythology that grows up about what happened, which is different from what really did happen. Peter Higgs mythology growing-up different That name was a kind of joke, and not a very good one. An author, Leon Lederman, wanted to call it 'that goddamn particle' because it was clear it was going to be a tough job finding it experimentally. His editor wouldn't have that, and he said 'okay, call it the God particle', and the editor accepted it. I don't think he should've have done, because it's so misleading. Peter Higgs editors jobs thinking The model I came up with in 1964 is just the invention of a rather strange sort of medium that looks the same in all directions and produces a kind of refraction that is a little bit more complicated than that of light in glass or water. Peter Higgs glasses light water I was an embarrassment to the department when they did research assessment exercises. A message would go round the department: 'Please give a list of your recent publications.' And I would send back a statement: 'None.' Peter Higgs assessment exercise giving The way that the background fields generates mass is rather like the way in which when light passes through a transparent medium like glass or water, it gets slowed down. It no longer travels with the fundamental velocity of light c. And that's the way to think of the generation of mass. Peter Higgs glasses light thinking Fundamentalism is another problem. I mean, Dawkins in a way is almost a fundamentalist himself, of another kind. Peter Higgs kind mean way My recollection of the higher school certificate, which involved a practical exam in physics, was being confronted with an experiment involving a sort of barometer arrangement, wondering why I couldn't make it work. Peter Higgs physics wonder school If the U.K. were threatening to withdraw from Europe, I would certainly want Scotland to be out of that. Peter Higgs scotland want europe I would send back a statement: ‘None.’ Peter Higgs statements The Nobel Prize has been a disturbance at the beginning of October for some years. It would be gratifying to win, but it would be quite an ordeal, too, with all the events which go on for two days. I'd think carefully about what I was doing the day it is announced and maybe not be around, or be around, but elsewhere. Peter Higgs beginning day win think I liked Edinburgh as a university in a way that I'd never enjoyed King's College London. I realised after I came to Edinburgh that perhaps it was a mistake to have gone to a college which was bang in the centre of a vast city. It had a bad effect on the social life of the students because a lot of them were commuting from outer London. Peter Higgs king city mistake life After I retired, it was quite a long time before I went back to my department. I thought I was well out of it. Peter Higgs thought long-time time long I'm rather cynical about the way the honours system is used, frankly. A whole lot of the honours system is used for political purposes by the government in power. Peter Higgs political government power way When my wife and I got married, she thought of me being an easygoing person, and I warned her I wasn't. Peter Higgs person thought me wife I don't regard television as the outside world. I regard it as an artefact. Peter Higgs outside regard television world I was already, I think, at the age of 18, showing signs of being incompetent in the lab. Peter Higgs i-think being think age It shouldn't be a Higgs field. If it's anybody's, it should be Goldstone field, I think. When Nambu wrote his short paper in 1960, Jeffrey Goldstone of Cambridge University, who was visiting Cern, heard about it. He then wrote a paper which was conceptually similar to what Nambu had done, but a simpler model. Peter Higgs short think university done
