Video: Professor Higgs: 'I have no idea what the God particle is for' The British physicist whose theories led to the discovery of the Higgs boson has admitted he has "no idea" what practical applications it could have. Prof Peter Higgs said the so-called "God particle," which is the building block of the universe, only has a lifespan of a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a second. He refused to be drawn on whether the discovery proved there was no God, stating the name "God particle" was a joke by another academic who originally called it the "goddamn particle" because it was so hard to find.