Source: SFGate
“Belgian-born scientist Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for his efforts to demystify a rare group of neutrinos, tiny cosmic particles that researchers believe offer clues to how the universe evolved. ‘It was a great surprise, and I obviously didn’t expect it,’ Halzen said, speaking to the Nobel Physics Committee by phone from Italy, in a call broadcast at the news conference to announce the winner. Halzen, a physicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S., said the work was a massive collaborative effort. He was working on a research proposal when the Nobel committee called just before lunchtime. ‘I hope that this prize will help getting it approved,’ he said to chuckles from the audience. Neutrinos are tiny cosmic particles with no electric charge and extraordinarily small mass, making them difficult to detect.” (10/06/26)