Vatican Observatory physicist reflects on 'God particle' discovery
July 06, 2012
Scientists’ discovery of the Higgs boson, sometimes known as the “God particle,” should not detract from belief in God, an official of the Vatican Observatory told a Vatican Radio audience.
The dramatic discovery of the Higgs boson illustrates the “harmony in nature,” said Father Gabriele Gionti, a Jesuit theoretical physicist. “If you assume faith and believe in a good God who created the Universe you do not see any conflict between science and religion.”
Father Gionti said that he had visited CERN, the Swiss laboratory where evidence of the Higgs boson was first uncovered, and could sense the excitement about the new discovery. He explained that physicists had referred to the Higgs boson as the “God particle” because for many years they had believed in it without having any physical evidence to prove its existence.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
