We are told what is to be viewed as unquestionably important by those whose interest is best served by our accepting that it’s their own special field of research. Always has been, always will be. No surprise there.

These “hints” of spectacular findings must be taken for what they are: hopeful predictions that keep our interest properly focused (by the focuser’s standards) and help insure that budgetary support is not interrupted.

For a typical example: a 3-sigma signal, a really strong hint, statistically speaking, should ensure a likelihood of 99.73% for the reality of the particle, or effect, or whatever is indicated as a possible discovery. Wow! In particle physics, the history is not so encouraging, however. See

http://news.discovery.com/space/new-physics-discovered-by-miniboone.html

Apparently, such marvelous hints turn out to be “a whopping 99%” wrong, just unaccounted-for noise in the data, or “baloney,” as the non-specialist would say.

I hope they find this Higgs thing soon, or they don't. Then we can go on to some other awe-inspiring assignment. I'm bored with this one.

Roger that, affirmative.

As long as they continue to believe it might exist they will be on the brink of discovering it.