Higgs

What do pretty pictures, humongous machines, and slightly witty reportage writing have in common?

They are the subject of a very neat article by National Geographic concerning the world's brand new particle accelerator. What are the Europeans (nay, all physicists) looking for with this giant, 17-mile-wide ring underground, smashing bits of invisible stuff against other bits of invisible stuff? A little thing that the press likes to call "The God Particle." Also known as the Higgs Particle, it is believed that this particle is the base particle, the single ingredient out of which the entire universe is constructed.

If your interest is piqued, then I suggest you read this article, which does a fantastic job of explaining how all this junk works, while throwing in a couple of snickery jokes here and there. Worth your time to read, like I say, if you're into that kind of thing.