The Higgs mechanism explains only a small fraction of the mass in the universe.

Most popular science articles give the Higgs model broad credit for lending mass to everything in the universe. However, the Higgs field gives mass only to elementary particles such as quarks and electrons. Most of the visible universe is made of composite particles such as protons and neutrons, which contain quarks. Just as a loaf of raisin bread weighs more than the sum of its raisins, protons and neutrons get their mass from more than just the quarks inside them. The strong nuclear force that holds those quarks together does most of the mass-giving work.

— Ten things you may not know about the Higgs boson

— Kathryn Jepsen

2014.09.16 Tuesday ACHK