Renowned physicist Peter Higgs, known for his groundbreaking work in proposing the existence of the "God particle," has died at the age of 94, as announced by the University of Edinburgh on Tuesday. Higgs, who was an emeritus professor at the university, passed away on Monday after a brief illness.

In 1964, Higgs postulated the existence of a new sub-atomic particle, which later became known as the Higgs boson. His theory aimed to explain the acquisition of mass by other particles, a crucial concept in understanding the formation of matter after the Big Bang. Without the presence of this particle, the standard model equations used by physicists to describe the world would not hold together.

Higgs' pioneering research was pivotal in unraveling one of the universe's most fundamental mysteries: the creation of matter from nothing during the Big Bang approximately 13.8 billion years ago. The Higgs boson, by conferring mass to particles, enables the clumping together of particles that form the matter we interact with on a daily basis.

However, it would take nearly 50 years before the existence of the Higgs boson could be officially confirmed. In 2012, scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, utilizing the Large Hadron Collider, a massive particle accelerator, made a groundbreaking announcement. They successfully detected the long-sought Higgs boson, a momentous achievement that marked a significant breakthrough in the field of physics.

The Large Hadron Collider, designed specifically to uncover the Higgs boson, generates collisions at exceptionally high energies, simulating conditions similar to those immediately after the Big Bang. This sophisticated experiment cost approximately $10 billion and is housed in a 17-mile tunnel beneath the Swiss-French border.

Peter Higgs's exceptional contributions to theoretical physics were recognized in 2013 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, alongside Belgian physicist Francois Englert. Both researchers independently proposed the existence of the Higgs boson, solidifying the significance of their work.

The Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University, Peter Mathieson, expressed his admiration for Higgs, describing him as a remarkable individual and a gifted scientist who expanded our understanding of the world. Higgs, born in Newcastle, England in 1929, earned his PhD from King's College, University of London, in 1954. He joined the University of Edinburgh, where he spent the majority of his esteemed career, eventually becoming the Personal Chair of Theoretical Physics before his retirement in 1996.

One of the most poignant moments in Higgs' illustrious scientific journey was in 2013 when he attended a presentation at CERN. The scientists presented complex statistical analyses unequivocally confirming the existence of the Higgs boson. Overwhelmed with emotion, Higgs was seen wiping away tears as the significance of his discovery sunk in.

Fabiola Gianotti, the CERN director-general, recalled how Higgs was not enamored with the moniker "God particle" bestowed upon his discovery, as it did not align with his preferred style of scientific discourse. Nonetheless, his groundbreaking work will continue to inspire generations of scientists, propelling our understanding of the universe forward.

The legacy of Peter Higgs, a true visionary in the field of physics, will forever remain ingrained in the annals of scientific discovery.