The Higgs boson sounds like Cuban folk music
This is a Marketplace.org Reader
Physicists around the world are still searching for ways to pick their jaws up off the floor after last week’s announcement that proof of the Higgs boson probably exists. If you’re in the boat that doesn’t float on seas of string theory equations (most of the world), you probably understand that the discovery is huge, but don’t quite get it.
The Higgs, in other words, was discovered due to a data anomaly. And now, that data set — and that anomaly — have been set to music. Or, more precisely, music has emerged from that data set and that anomaly.
Domenico Vicinanza, an engineer/musician has come up with a musical interpretation of the findings. Turns out the “God particle” is pretty melodious and resembles the Habenera, or 19th century Cuban dance music.
While I still can’t quite grasp the science of it all, at least the tune is nice.
