The Higgs Boson Still Matches The Standard Model

The Standard Model Higgs Boson hypothesis continues to be a good fit to the data, this time, an inclusive measurement of all Higgs bosons produced in the LHC data of the CMS experiment over a three year period.

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production and decay rates are reported, representing the most comprehensive study performed by the CMS Collaboration to date. The included analyses use proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS experiment at s√ = 13 TeV from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. The statistical combination is based on analyses that measure the following decay channels: H → γγ, H → ZZ, H → WW, H → ττ, H → bb, H → μμ, and H → Zγ → ℓℓγ (ℓ = e,μ). Information in the events from each decay channel is used to target multiple Higgs boson production processes. Searches for invisible Higgs boson decays are also considered, as well as an analysis that measures off-shell Higgs boson production in the H → ZZ → 4ℓ decay channel. 

The best fit inclusive signal yield is measured to be 1.014 +0.055 −0.053 times the standard model expectation, for a Higgs boson mass of 125.38 GeV. 

Measurements in kinematic regions defined by the simplified template cross section framework are also provided, as well as interpretations in the coupling modifier and standard model effective field theory frameworks. The coupling modifier interpretation is further used to place constraints on various two-Higgs-doublet models. The results show good compatibility with the standard model predictions for the majority of the measured parameters.

CMS Collaboration, "Combined measurements and interpretations of Higgs boson production and decay in proton-proton collisions at s√ = 13 TeV" arXiv:2602.18611 (February 20, 2026) (Submitted to Reports on Progress in Physics).

The result is about 0.2 sigma above the Standard Model expectation, which is very consistent with the result obtained and once again suggests that the uncertainties in the measurement (the average discrepancy from the expected results if the errors are accurately measured and Gaussian should be 1 sigma), in the interests of being conservative in estimating them, are overestimated. This is common in electroweak (as opposed to strong force) high energy physics experiments.

The breakdown of the sources of uncertainty are notable too:

The theoretical uncertainty is the biggest contributor to the total uncertainty. More specifically:

The largest component of the uncertainty originates from the theoretical uncertainty in the signal yield normalization (∆µincl/µincl = 3.6%). The contributions from the experimental uncertainties are shared amongst the different sources of uncertainty, with no single dominant contribution.

The statistical uncertainty (assuming that the uncertainty can correctly be modeled as Gaussian, i.e. a statistical normal distribution) is almost certainly spot on correct because establishing it is a mechanical process that involves few judgment calls. This means that any excess estimates of uncertainty in this experiment come from the theoretical and systemic experimental uncertainties.

A statement about the Higgs boson mass used in this analysis is found in the introduction, and doesn't represent any insights from the inclusive measurement which doesn't meaningfully distinguish between the Higgs boson mass assumed in the analysis and newer more precise measurements by the ATLAS and CMS experiments which are about 0.2% (i.e. 170-200 MeV) less massive.

The SM predictions for the Higgs boson production and decay rates depend on the mass of the Higgs boson mH. For all measurements in this paper, the mass is fixed at mH = 125.38 GeV. This was the most precise measurement of m(H) (± 0.14 GeV) by the CMS Collaboration at the time that the analyses entering the combination were performed. Since then, a more precise measurement of m(H) = 125.08 ± 0.12 GeV has been performed by CMS in the H → ZZ → 4ℓ channel. The ATLAS Collaboration also performed a more precise measurement of m(H) = 125.11 ± 0.11 GeV, combining the H → ZZ → 4ℓ and H → γγ channels. The small difference in m(H) between these values has a negligible effect on the results in this paper.

So, any hope from the abstract that this experiment would also shed light on the Higgs boson mass has been dashed. 

The final point in the abstract about only a majority of the results being compatible with the Standard Model is explained as follows:

In contrast to the inclusive measurement, the per production process measurement shows a small tension with the SM, with a compatibility p-value of pSM = 0.02. This tension is mostly driven by µtH, for which an excess of 2.2 standard deviations above the SM expectation is seen. The µWH and µZH parameters are also measured to be larger than the SM expectations by approximately two standard deviations. The 68% CL intervals range from ±7.5% for µggH to ±39% for µtH, relative to their best fit values. 

The per decay channel measurement shows a better compatibility with the SM (pSM = 0.33). The largest deviations are observed in the µττ and µZγ parameters. However, these are still compatible with the SM expectations within the 95% CL intervals. The µγγ, µZZ, µWW, and µττ parameters are all measured with excellent precision, with 68% CL intervals of approximately ±10% relative to their best fit values. The µbb parameter is measured with a 68% CL interval of ±15%. This represents a significant improvement compared to the previous combined Higgs boson measurement by the CMS Collaboration (±21%), because of the newly added H → bb channels and updated H → bb input analyses. The parameters for the rarer decay channels, µµµ and µZγ, are measured with 68% CL intervals of ±37% and ±39%, respectively, relative to their best fit values.

The biggest deviations in particular channels are still only slight tensions and are expected due to the look elsewhere effect. 

The constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling relative to the Standard Model expected value, kappa(A), which is a quite hard to measure property of the Higgs boson, are also very consistent with the Standard Model expectation, as shown in the chart below (with kappa(F) and kappa(V) reflecting scenarios where there are different couplings to fermions and vector bosons).

Quick Hits

* The Sumerians had different number words and symbols to count numbers of different kinds of things. So, for example, the word for five pieces of fruit would be different than the word for five logs.

* Egyptian pyramids were built as trapezoids and then cut down to pyramids with the left over rock used to make new pyramids.

* Reputedly, Emperor Basil II of the Byzantine Empire was cruel.

* The Anglo-Saxons kept slaves in the middle ages.

* According to Gerald of Wales ca. 1316 CE, at that time the Irish were predominantly herders.

* Harsh murder sentences for newborns killed or neglected in the throes of unattended child birth are still common today even though the death penalty is almost never sought now in these circumstances.

* The TYRP1 gene variant discovered in 2012, is the cause of blond hair in the Solomon Islands in Melanesia, which is a different gene than the one that causes blond hair in Europeans.

* Before 1480, India and Sri Lanka were nearly connected by a land bridge known as Adam’s Bridge.

* There were once oceans on Mars.

High-resolution orbital images of Mars' largest canyon reveal ancient river deltas, proving the Red Planet once held an ocean the size of Earth's Arctic.

New high-resolution imagery from the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has provided the most definitive evidence to date that Mars was once a blue planet. Researchers at the University of Bern identified distinct fan-shaped sediment deposits in the southeast Coprates Chasma region, part of the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. These structures, remarkably similar to river deltas on Earth, all sit at a consistent elevation between 3,650 and 3,750 meters. This geological alignment points to one unmistakable conclusion: the presence of an ancient coastline where rivers once emptied into a vast, stable sea approximately 3.37 billion years ago.

While previous theories about Martian oceans relied on lower-resolution data, this study offers direct geomorphological proof of a shoreline. The findings suggest that a massive body of water, comparable in size to Earth’s Arctic Ocean, once covered the entirety of Mars’ northern hemisphere. Though today these ancient deltas are buried beneath wind-sculpted dust and dunes, their distinctive shapes remain preserved. This discovery drastically alters our view of Martian history; the existence of a planet-wide water cycle and a stable ocean suggests that the conditions necessary for life were not isolated occurrences but a global phenomenon.

Source: Argadestya, P., et al. "Geomorphological and sedimentological evidence of a coastline in Southeast Coprates Chasma." npj Space Exploration (2026).

* There are social octopi that build homes for themselves off the coast of Australia.

* This very little bugger ,who is part of this clade of animals (and more specifically this one) is kind of cute in a Disney monsters way. They are the most heat-tolerant complex animal known to science after tardigrades (or water bears), which are able to survive temperatures over 150 °C. They were discovered in 1980 off the Galapagos islands.

When they grow up, they look like this (the "fur" is a symbiotic species of bacteria):

* A photograph of the February 19, 2026 solar eclipse in Antarctica (not AI).

* Nature can be amazing (also not AI).

* In West Texas, ca. 4500 BCE, hunter-gatherers used non-returnable boomerang sticks for small game and atlatl to throw their carefully crafted spears further for big game.

A cache of ancient weapons, more than 6,000 years old, has been uncovered in a remote rock shelter in West Texas, offering one of the clearest pictures yet of early life in North America.

The discovery was made at the San Esteban rock shelter in the Big Bend region, an area known for its dry climate and rugged desert landscape. That dryness turned out to be a gift to archaeologists. Items that would normally rot away wood, leather bindings, plant fibers remained intact for thousands of years. Inside the shelter, researchers found a carefully stored hunting kit dating to around 4,500 B.C., including wooden spear shafts wrapped in leather, stone projectile points, and parts of atlatls, the spear-throwing tools that dramatically increased a hunter’s range and power.

An atlatl works like a lever, giving a thrown spear greater speed and force. With it, hunters could strike animals from distances that would otherwise be impossible with a simple hand throw. Tests and prior studies show these tools could send projectiles well over 100 feet with deadly accuracy. The craftsmanship seen in the newly uncovered pieces shows careful shaping, balance, and planning. These were not rough survival tools; they were refined hunting systems built by people who deeply understood their environment.

Researchers also identified curved wooden throwing weapons often described as straight or non-returning boomerangs. Unlike the returning boomerangs many people picture today, these were designed to fly straight and hit small game with strong impact. Their presence adds another layer to what appears to have been a well-organized toolkit, likely stored together for repeated use.

The San Esteban site has a long history of human occupation stretching back thousands of years. Findings from this latest excavation reinforce the idea that the Big Bend region was not a temporary stop for wandering groups but a place where people lived, adapted, and developed sophisticated survival strategies. The tools show planning, skill, and an ability to work with available materials in smart, efficient ways.

Archaeologists involved in the project say the discovery helps rewrite outdated ideas about early North American societies. These communities were not primitive in the way older textbooks sometimes suggested. They engineered effective hunting technology, understood animal behavior, and created tools built to last.

As research continues, scientists hope to learn more about how these weapons were used, how they were stored, and what they reveal about daily life 6,000 years ago. For now, the dry rock shelter in West Texas has delivered something rare: a direct, tangible connection to hunters who once stood in the same desert landscape, preparing their tools for the next expedition.

* Maize farmers in Peru’s Chincha Valley were fertilizing their crops with seabird poop as early as the year 1250 CE.

* According to this source:

Around 3,800 years ago, a magnitude-9.5 megaquake struck northern Chile's coast, creating the largest earthquake known in human history. The rupture extended roughly 620 miles along the fault line—longer than the devastating 1960 Valdivia earthquake—and generated tsunamis with waves reaching 66 feet that traveled 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand. Archaeologists discovered marine deposits, boulders, shells, and sea life displaced far inland in the Atacama Desert, along with toppled stone structures buried beneath tsunami sediment, all radiocarbon-dated to this single catastrophic event.

The disaster forced complete coastal abandonment. Communities that depended on the ocean for survival relocated inland, staying away from the coast for over 1,000 years—an extraordinary response that demonstrates the quake's devastating impact on human populations. Researchers now recognize this megathrust earthquake, caused when tectonic plates suddenly unlocked after building massive strain, as both the oldest discovered earthquake-tsunami disaster in the Southern Hemisphere and a critical warning for modern coastal populations across the Pacific.

* Every recorded earthquake worldwide, 2015 to 2025 (my source didn't cite a source).