Peter Higgs and his boson have both been “Elusive”
Frank Close tells their story in his aptly titled book
Elusive. By Frank Close. Basic Books; 304 pages; $26. Allen Lane; £25
On the morning of October 8th 2013, no one could find Peter Higgs. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences had been trying to get hold of him on the phone for hours—its custom being to try to speak to the winners of a Nobel prize in the moments before making the decision known to the world. Despite delaying proceedings that day until past lunchtime, the Swedes could not locate Mr Higgs and had to press on with the announcement of that year’s physics prize without his knowledge.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline "Hide and seek"
Culture July 9th 2022
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