RT Article
T1 The Higgs Boson, The God Particle, and the Correlation Between Scientific and Religious Narratives
JF Open theology
VO 1
IS 1
SP 366
OP 378
A1 Stahlberg, Lorns-Olaf
LA English
PB De Gruyter
YR 2015
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1828249289
AB The Higgs mechanism - as part of the Standard Model of Elementary Particle Physics - is mostly considered to be a real physical process that brings about the mass of every elementary particle. Recent discussions show that there are alternative interpretations of it, differing from the common one in the spectrum and the features of some specific physical objects. This, in turn, shows that the problem of reference remains unsolved for physical theories: It is not obvious what kind of objects theoretical terms exactly refer to. Given the fact that the reference to the object level is ambiguous even in the natural sciences, what correlations can be established between scientific terms and religious expressions at all? Do ontic ambiguities make the dialogue between science and religion easier or more complicated? This article reflects on these questions by examining the possible significations (and interrelations) of scientific and religious signs in general as well as from the perspective of the individual. I suggest that religious storytelling and ritual practices can establish specific associations between scientific and religious worldviews under certain conditions - without confusing the different world-views conceptually.
K1 Higgs mechanism
K1 category mistake
K1 Metaphor
K1 Ritual
K1 Semiotics
DO 10.1515/opth-2015-0020