No. But it does say something about America’s level of science illiteracy that people seem completely unable to give the barest of definitions, something as simple as “the biggest unanswered question in particle physics.” It would be nice if they knew about atoms, and a bit about subatomic particles. I’m not confident of my own knowledge, but the Higgs Boson has been the Holy Grail for particle physicists long enough that educated Americans should at least be able to know what debates the new evidence contributes. My take on not knowing the Higgs Boson is that level of disengagement is somewhat akin to not knowing who Toni Morrison is.
Apparently no. The web is whirling with collected Twitter statements about how atheists have been “proved wrong” because “they have found the God Particle” and other nonsense. One hopes this material is satire.
This selection here from Slate is a bit refreshing as instead of taking potshots at the usual media target (fundamentalist Christians), the piece takes a look at people who are likely to have been to college–residents of Brooklyn. The guesses include bands, art installations, etc.
Go away from my page and read something about science.