How selfies have ruined my life (by Nobel professor)
he is the quiet professor who garnered worldwide fame late in life thanks to the discovery of a ‘God particle’ named in his honour.
But nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter higgs claims his life has been ruined by achievement because he is constantly bombarded by requests for selfies.
Professor higgs complained that he cannot walk the streets of edinburgh or go shopping without being stopped by hordes of fans.
the 87-year-old edinburgh University professor predicted the existence of this elusive fundamental particle, known as the higgs boson, while working there in 1964.
in July 2012, physicists at Cern’s Large hadron Collider announced the discovery of a particle consistent with his theory.
that brought higgs, who has lived in edinburgh for more than 50 years, his nobel prize in 2013 and worldwide acclaim.
But he has told how he is uncomfortable with finding fame late in life. he said: ‘My life has been ruined by people recognising me on the street and wanting a selfie.
‘it still happens on the streets of edinburgh when i go shopping, and people are amazed that i’m visible going shopping.
‘But i say, “i’ve been here 50 years”. i hardly dare to go to the school of physics because a horde of students will descend on me bearing smartphones. it’s made particularly difficult by the fact a portrait of me hangs on the stairway – they know what to look for.’
Professor higgs also said he was trying to think of a way to get out of attending the opening of the new higgs Centre for innovation at the Royal observatory in edinburgh.
the physicist added: ‘in spite of my never having any real connection with it, they put my name on it and my name shouldn’t be on it. i’m going to be embarrassed if they ask me to participate in the opening. i have to find a way of saying, “i think you’ve named it after the wrong person”.’
Professor higgs has said he thinks he was only kept on by the institution because of the prospect of him winning a nobel Prize.
he also claimed ‘his’ boson would not be of great use to future physicists. he added: ‘it’s extremely difficult for me to imagine anybody doing anything useful with that particle. i don’t see any future for it.’
Professor higgs was this week presented with an award from the 1851 Commission, the trust that funded his original research, and said he hoped it would be his last honour.