Higgs Territory Continues To Shrink

PhysicsDavid writes "Announced this morning by Fermilab, the possible territory for the Higgs boson has shrunk even further. Combined results from the CDF and DZero experiments at the Tevatron have ruled out the existence of the Higgs with a mass between 160 and 170 GeV/c^2 with 95% confidence. At 90% confidence the Higgs is ruled out between about 157 and 185 GeV/c^2. Here is Fermilab's press release. If the Higgs is to be found at the lighter end of the currently allowed range of 114 GeV/c^2 to 185 GeV/c^2, its detection will be harder than at the heavier end due to the kinds of signals that the Large Hadron Collider and the Tevatron will see. Some physicists think that a lighter Higgs will be easier to spot at the Tevatron as the background processes which obscure the faint signal are not as prevalent in those experiments."

Comments

Re:Boring...

[PFI_Optix]

99.9% of the population answers all modern physics questions with a question: "What the hell are you talking about?"

Someone convince me all this is a worthwhile expense of resources and that it will do more than prove one professor is smarter than another professor. Because right now I'm seriously concerned that a LOT of time, brainpower, and natural resources are being invested in something that has no value other than knowledge.

(disclaimer: I love science and think it's hugely important and beneficial, but there are times I wonder if the lengths to which physicists go to answer their Next Big Question aren't excessive given all the other things their talents could be applied to)