The two scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics this year for the theory of how particles acquire mass.
François Englert of Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgien, and Peter W. Higgs of the University of Edinburgh, UK, shared the prize specifically for the "theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles" at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in July 2012.
See also: Why the Higgs Boson Announcement Matters
In 1964, both Englert and Higgs independently proposed the theory of how particles acquire mass. One of the central ideas behind the theory was that all mass originates from a special particle, the Higgs particle — an idea that was confirmed by the particle's discovery at the CERN laboratory in 2012.
The importance of the Higgs particle discovery is vast for modern physics, as it essentially proves the Standard Model, the current predominant theory of particle physics.
"I hope this recognition of fundamental science will help raise awareness of the value of blue-sky research," Higgs said in a statement. Englert said he was "very happy" to have won the award, the BBC reported.
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