Nobel laureate

Peter Higgs: Discoverer of the “God particle” dead

The 94-year-old Briton Peter Higgs shaped science with his theory on the mass of elementary particles.

(Bild: AP)

The British Nobel Prize winner in physics Peter Higgs is dead. The 94-year-old died at his home on Monday, as the Scottish University of Edinburgh announced on Tuesday. The scientist had spent the majority of his career at the university. The Englishman became world-famous with his theory on the mass of elementary particles.

The discovery of the Higgs boson - also known as the "God particle" - at the Cern research center in Switzerland catapulted the theorist into the Hall of Fame of physics. Together with the Belgian François Englert, Higgs was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013 for his prediction of the mass particle.

"Gifted scientist"
"Peter Higgs was a remarkable man - a truly gifted scientist whose vision and imagination have enriched our knowledge of the world around us," said University of Edinburgh Vice-Chancellor Peter Mathieson. "His pioneering work has motivated thousands of scientists and his legacy will continue to inspire many more generations."

(Bild: The Associated Press)

Shy of publicity
Although the two theoretical physicists came up with the mass theory around the same time in the mid-1960s, Higgs prevailed as the namesake and not Englert - which was rather unpleasant for the publicity-shy and modest physicist. He was of the opinion that he was getting more fame than he deserved. The development of the thesis and the discovery of the particles had been a group effort.

"I didn't think it would happen in my lifetime," Higgs told the specialist journal "New Scientist" with regard to the confirmation of his theory. However, the situation changed when the large particle accelerators were built. The atheist rejected the name "God particle" for his discovery.

Higgs was born on May 29, 1929 in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England, the son of a sound engineer. As a child, he suffered from asthma and was initially taught by his mother. In addition to his scientific career, he was also politically active.

Until his death, the scientist was highly regarded by colleagues and the media. Over time, Higgs gave fewer and fewer interviews, preferring to spend his time with music, films and books and, above all, with his family, as a spokeswoman for the University of Edinburgh once said.