Homer Simpson almost solved the Higgs equation fourteen years ago, when scientists had already solved it with CERN’s Large Hadron Colider in Switzerland. The second episode of “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace”, the tenth season, shows Homer having a midlife crisis. He realizes that he’s more than halfway through his life expectancy and feels depressed at not being able to accomplish anything. Homer is inspired by Thomas Edison, the inventor and prolific inventor to leave his job at the power station to become an inventor. Homer invents the reclining chair, which has a built-in bathroom, and a gun that sprays make-up onto women’s faces. He also invented a device that makes an alarm sound every three seconds, while all is well. Homer only needed a crisis in his midlife, while world geniuses had to have billion-dollar equipment. Copyright by Matt Groening/Fox. Homer writes an equation on a board that predicts the Higgs boson’s mass. Also known as the Higgs particle or elementary particle of the Standard Model particle physics, the Higgs Boson is also known. Simon Singh (author of “The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets”) said that the equation predicted the Higgs Boson’s mass. It’s not much larger than what the Higgs boson is actually made of. This is quite amazing, as Homer made this prediction years prior to it being discovered. He adds that many of the writers of these shows have advanced mathematics degrees as well as a great sense of humor. Simon Singh, “The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.” Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. ISBN 1408843730, Simonsingh.net has a description about Mr. Singh’s book. It says that he interviewed many members of the team who helped create The Simpsons. He comments that their love of mathematics is evident as they share the story behind each episode. Video – Simpsons, Futurama writers David X. Cohen & Al Jean talk to Mr. Singh on the complex mathematics in these shows.
