Anderson-Higgs mechanism

The Anderson-Higgs mechanism explains how particles like W and Z bosons gain mass in the context of fundamental physics. In a universe without mass, these particles would move at light speed. When a field called the Higgs field permeates space, it interacts with certain particles, giving them mass. Think of the Higgs field as a kind of energy or fluid that "sticks" to these particles, making them heavier. This process is fundamental to our understanding of how particles acquire mass while preserving the underlying rules of physics, and it explains why some particles have mass and others do not.