"How would a physics work if the rules of physics changed at the whim of the physicist?"

Isn't that what happens? Newton's laws are changed by Einstein? Higgs creates his boson on a whim, and other physicists follow along, and eventually find some data they say supports that whim? Aren't there other whims that could also account for the observations? Why select Higgs's? Popularity? Social pressure?

"What the fuck did I just read?"

I loved his acting as much as anyone, but I disagree that it was necessarily a sad day. He was, after all, 83 years old. He beat the average life expectancy in this country by a wide margin. He made an impact on a huge number of people, as well. He was ready to check out and move on. Really, what could you reasonably expect an 83 year old man to do beyond this point anyways? I'm happy for him and all he's done.

Kirk: How much refit time before we can take her out again? Scotty: Eight weeks, sir. But ye don't have eight weeks, so I'll do it for ye in two. Basically, we will be violating every safety standard in star-fleet, and there is a 20% everything will blow up completely leaving us stranded in deep space w/o power.