British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs, the man who christened the Higgs Boson particle, has reached another milestone for what has been a banner year for him.
Higgs was named the Companion of Honour, one of the most prestigious honors in the United Kingdom, for his work in the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle which is said to give mass to all matter in the known universe.
A team of scientists believed that they discovered the particle this past summer with the use of the atom-smashing, $5 million Large Hadron Collider at the CERN particle physics lab in Geneva.
Recipients of the Companion of Honour accolade are selected by contributing recognized services of national importance.
Higgs, who came up with the concept of the so-called "God particle" in the 1960s while walking through the mountains in Scotland, was inspired by physicist Paul Dirac, who helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter.
The discovery of the particle has been publicized and celebrated widely, even having a mention in pop culture, as shown on CBS's hit comedy series, "The Big Bang Theory."
Higgs joins a list of others that will be honored by Queen Elizabeth II in a knighting ceremony at New Year's, including "Star Wars" actor Ewan McGregor, English singer Kate Bush, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake, and more.
Because of the groundbreaking nature of Higgs's work-some saying that it may lead to a new round of discoveries in particle physics--many believe that he is on the fast track to winning a Nobel Prize in science.
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