the boson man

Professor Higgs has something of a reputation for being a recluse. It's undeserved. In person he's affable and approachable. He lives quietly in Edinburgh's New Town but can often be spotted in the capital's concert halls and museums. He's in his eighties now, a grandfather, and retired from his role as Professor Emeritus at Edinburgh University. As such it's not unreasonable if he chooses to spend most of his time out of the public eye. Professor Peter Higgs inside the Large Hadron Collider tunnel at CERN Professor Peter Higgs inside the Large Hadron Collider tunnel at CERN, Geneva A colleague screens his emails, of which there are plenty. Some come from present day theoretical physicists, others from non-scientists with - to put it diplomatically - unconventional theories on life, the Universe and everything. Also to be filtered: dozens of interview requests from the world's media. He accepts only a few because it would be impossible to accept them all.

more from Ken Macdonald at the BBC here.