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Welcome to Double Helix magazine’s Q&A section – Microscope. We take a close look at small questions full of big ideas. Q: I would like to know how a Higgs boson gives other particles their mass?

Atoms – we know that they’re small. But what do they actually look like? Recent experiments suggest that some atoms have a surprising shape. To understand what an atom might look like, we need to know what they’re made of.

You might not feel it, but it’s always raining – not raindrops, but cosmic rays. These high-energy particles from outer space could contain clues to some of the mysteries of the Universe.

Have you ever wondered what quantum physics was all about? Grab a tray of water and learn a bit about the strangest science of the twentieth century!

A few months ago, scientists from the Large Hadron Collider announced they had found a new particle, one that could be the Higgs boson. The Higgs particle is thought to have properties explaining how other particles have mass. But the first signs of this new particle were detected over a year ago.

Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have confirmed the discovery of a particle with properties that match those of the Higgs boson. The announcement has created a lot of excitement – why all the fuss?