How Homer Simpson discovered the Higgs boson over a decade before scientists

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Homer Simpson almost predicted the mass of the elementary particle, the Higgs boson, more than a decade before it was discovered, according to a new book on maths in The Simpsons.

In the episode “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace”, aired in 1998, Homer becomes an inventor and is shown in front of a blackboard with a complicated equation.

“That equation predicts the mass of the Higgs boson” Simon Singh said. “If you work it out, you get the mass of a Higgs boson that’s only a bit larger than the nano-mass of a Higgs boson actually is. It’s kind of amazing as Homer makes this prediction 14 years before it was discovered.”

The Simpsons may “encourage and nourish” those who are into maths, Dr Singh said. He hoped teenagers who loved maths would feel inspired by the fact that the show’s creators shared their interests.