Physicists - so, how is the Higgs Field NOT ether?!

[Chronos]

(Nor, for that matter, is the Higgs responsible for all mass, which breaks the analogy with ether even further. The mass of the proton is almost two orders of magnitude larger than the sum of the mass of the corresponding quarks, and that extra contribution is not a result of the Higgs.)

The same is true of the neutron. And to take that a step further, protons and neutrons in turn make up about 99.97% of the mass of all matter we’re familiar with. Which means that not only is not all mass unrelated to the Higgs, but the vast majority of it is unrelated to it.

[DocCathode]

This thread has been very educational.

I love you guys.

[Ludovic]

@Chronos

And again, if you’re going to say that something is “like ether”, then you have to say which ether it is you’re talking about, since the 19th-century concept of ether is about as unlike the classical concept of ether as it’s possible to be.

So what you’re saying is the comparison isn’t an ether-or proposition.

[WordMan]

@Ludovic

So what you’re saying is the comparison isn’t an ether-or proposition.

A sputtering start, some traction, a zealot-driven kerfuffle, more traction and clarity, a wonderful thought from Doc Cathode (I agree!) followed by a truly godawful pun - I think I got a Doperfecta out of this thread.

Thanks!