The Particle Zoo

On the 10/30/09 colloquium talk at the University of Louisville, Heidi Schellman came discussing her research on the Higgs particle at Fermilab. I had the privilege to eat lunch with her at the Speed Art museum with a group of students and faculty, as well as listen to her talk about particle physics at SPS and talk on her research at the colloquium.

Then opening her treasures, she offered us gifts of many flavors (see Matthew 2:11). Bearing gifts, meaning she brought in products from the particle zoo, a self-proclaimed "sweatshop of one" dedicated to making plush particle confections. Below is the dark matter being presented in a display of the piping at CERN.

A description of the Higgs on the particle zoo:

The Higgs Boson is the theoretical particle of the Higgs mechanism, which physicists believe will reveal how all matter in the universe get its mass. Many scientists hope that the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland will detect the elusive Higgs Boson when it begins colliding particles at 99.99% the speed of light. Wool felt with gravel fill for maximum mass. $9.75 plus shipping.