Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. David E. Kaplan
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University
Particle Fever— Why the Higgs Boson Matters
Program Description
Producer David E. Kaplan, who is heavily featured in the film, explained why the Higgs boson matters, and participated in a Q&A.
Presented At
Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Film Synopsis
As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time—or perhaps their greatest failure.
Particle Fever follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, marking the start of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation. As they seek to unravel the mysteries of the universe, 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries joined forces in pursuit of a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed just moments after the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson, potentially explaining the origin of all matter. But our heroes confront an even bigger challenge: have we reached our limit in understanding why we exist?
About the Speaker
Dr. David E. Kaplan is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. His primary research interests are in theoretical particle physics with a particular focus on electroweak superconductivity and potentially related physics such as supersymmetry, new fundamental forces, extra dimensions, and dark matter. He is also exploring connections between particle physics and cosmology.