Who Really Found the Higgs Boson

http://nautil.us/issue/18/genius/who-really-found-the-higgs-boson-rd

by dnetesn • 12 years ago

37 15 12 years ago

Someone12342• 12 years ago

Does this mean Nobel Prizes in science might soon be effectively redundant? Seems already a little farcical, but nobody blinks and eyelid at a movie star being given credit/prizes for an entire movie because they happen to be the front [wo]man.

PS - Before someone argues with the movie example, let me ask you this: When was the last time a movie star got e.g. an Oscar while staring in a bad movie? If it is really for acting alone, then someone should be able to get it by being in a really bad piece of shit but absolutely killing it for their part. But that never happens, it is always for blockbusters that otherwise do really well (e.g. great direction, writing, lighting, etc).

wnevets• 12 years ago

it is always for AAA blockbusters

You had me up till this part, what is your definition of a AAA blockbuster movie?

Someone12342• 12 years ago

I've removed the term "AAA" since it both doesn't really mean anything and is hard to quantify.

I've just left it as "blockbusters" which has a more concrete definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockbuster_(entertainment)

ssmoot• 12 years ago

Sorry for the nit-pick, but I think "critically acclaimed" probably fits better than "blockbuster".

nurbl• 12 years ago

Particle physics in general and CERN in particular is a pretty extreme case, most physics is still done in much smaller teams - although I suppose practically never by lone individuals.

mlyang• 12 years ago

This is a fascinating article. I wonder to what, if any, degree this methodology stifles innovation because innovators aren't rewarded. It seems from the article that ATLAS did not think the Nobel Prize was awarded properly to the correct people...would that affect their research in the future?

trombone72• 12 years ago

No, the motivation is increased chances for postdocs or lecture positions. Possibly a politician in a funding agency got dissapointed...

trombone72• 12 years ago

Why u no CMS internet? Oh u ATLAS

hyperion20102• 12 years ago

I like how the praise the management style without discussing the massive cost overruns the project has incurred.

jarek3• 12 years ago

Can you briefly discuss some of the projects that built a 27 km tunnel, packed it full of cutting-edge technology, and didn't incur a cost overrun?

hyperion20102• 12 years ago

I'm sure I could point you to a Tokyo subway project that didn't have a cost overrun.

jarek3• 12 years ago

I had a chance to visit CERN recently - they aren't kidding about the thousands of names on the paper, the scale of the project is enormous, and the ATLAS detector up close is like a space ship engine from a scifi movie. The main CERN campus feels very much Silicon Valley, only with older buildings. (The visitor information centres are neat and interesting too!)

ssivark• 12 years ago

"The original founders infused a collaborative ethic into every person that joined by eschewing personal credit, talking through conflicts face to face, and discussing almost everything in open meetings. But that ethic is codified nowhere; there is no written code of conduct. And yet it is embraced, almost religiously, by everyone that I spoke with."

Abstracting one possible lesson beyond the specific context -- to me this is an example of an organization where they (successfully) maintain an emphasis on one of their core values by building their culture and habitat around it, rather than typical carrot-and-stick methods. That they've managed this with people spread over multiple countries and backgrounds is a tremendous achievement!

"[...] ATLAS management led with little or no formal authority. Most people in the collaboration work directly “for” someone who is in no way related to their home institute, which actually writes their paycheck. For example, during the construction phase, the project leader of the ATLAS pixel detector, one of its most data-intensive components, worked for a U.S. laboratory in California. His direct subordinate, the project engineer, worked for an institute in Italy. Even though he was managing a critical role in the production process, the project leader had no power to promote, discipline, or even formally review the project engineer’s performance. His only recourse was discussion, negotiation, and compromise. ATLAS members are more likely to feel that they work with someone, rather than for them."

modifier• 12 years ago

Most great inventors in history (an estimated 90 percent) are ripped off and never received credit and monetary compensation for their genius and hard work: http://cbpowerandindustrial.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/when-ha...

Who Really Found the Higgs Boson

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