It seems that the “God-Particle” was finally found and this finding may open a whole knew world of practical inventions.  Of course it is still early in the discovery process so we may have witnessed a moment that has more academic than practical purpose! This past week scientists at the CERN large Hadrian collider confirmed that they found the Higgs Boson particle.  The news is exciting because the Higgs Boson particle potentially explains how matter acquires mass and is one of the building blocks of all matter.  In 1990, Congress funded the Human Genome Project (HGP) and it was completed in 2003.  From that information, we now have a better understanding of human DNA and in 2011 we started tailoring drugs to defects in a person’s genes.  Initially the sequencing, which is basically crunching billions of sequences looking for errors, cost millions to do.  With improved computer power that number was down to $40,000 in 2011 and we can now do the same sequence for about $27,000 (and the cost continues to drop).  The sequencing allows us to target specific genetic defects and we are beginning to have some success in battling cancer.  We now know that cancer in anyone organ is not what we should concentrate on, but rather focusing on what genes are wrong and turning those genes on or off.  This new understanding is a direct result of the start and completion of the HGP.

We will now begin to learn if our theories on how the universe is composed are correct, if the Higgs Boson is what we think it is.  It will not be too long before we can start building materials from the subatomic particle up and finally build a practical fusion reactor so we do not destroy our environment through the burning of fossil fuels.  However, like the creation of electric generators, it may take us 30 years to develop practical uses for this knowledge!