Name: Why our universe might exist on a knife-edge
Uploaded: 2013-10-24T15:02:10Z
Duration: 13 min 56 s
Description: The biggest surprise of discovering the Higgs boson? That there were no surprises. Gian Giudice talks us through a problem in theoretical physics: what if the Higgs field exists in an ultra-dense state that could mean the collapse of all atomic matter? With wit and charm, Giudice outlines a grim fate -- and why we shouldn't start worrying just yet.

The biggest surprise of discovering the Higgs boson? That there were no surprises. Gian Giudice talks us through a problem in theoretical physics: what if the Higgs field exists in an ultra-dense state that could mean the collapse of all atomic matter? With wit and charm, Giudice outlines a grim fate -- and why we shouldn't start worrying just yet.

Gian Giudice: Why our universe might exist on a knife-edge

Why our universe might exist on a knife-edge

Exploring the Higgs field, we tiptoe around a cosmic cliff, where quantum tunneling could lead to the collapse of all matter.

Our universe, perhaps a mere bubble in a vast multiverse, could be on the brink of a phase transition, destined for collapse.

Higgs boson discovery implies our universe might be on a precarious brink, risking cosmic collapse of all atomic matter.