The giant Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most expensive scientific experiment, will be shut down for at least two months, scientists at the European Center for Nuclear Research, or CERN, in Geneva said Saturday.
The shutdown casts into doubt the hopes of CERN physicists to achieve high-energy collisions of protons in the machine before the end of the year.
“It’s too early to say whether we’ll still be having collisions this year,” said James Gillies, chief of communications for CERN, in an e-mail message.
... Several mishaps, including the failure of a 30-ton electrical transformer, have slowed progress since then. In the worst case, on Friday, one of the giant superconducting magnets that guide the protons failed during a test. A large amount of helium, which is used to cool the magnets to within 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit of absolute zero, leaked into the collider tunnel.
In a terse statement, the laboratory said that an electrical connection between the magnets had melted because of the high current. To fix it, engineers will have to warm that section of the tunnel, and then cool it all the way down again.
... The laboratory shuts down to save money on electricity during the winter. A gala inauguration party scheduled for Oct. 21 will still take place, Dr. Gillies said.
- I LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THE GALA!
- THIS THING HAS ALREADY COST ABOUT $7 BILLION - SO FAR.... SO WHAT A FEW MORE MILLION FOR A PAHTEEE!
- I'D RATHER THEY SPENT THE MONEY FIGGERING OUT HOW THE DEMOCRATS NOMINATED A MAN TOTALLY UNPREPARED AND UNFIT FOR THE OFFICE!
I'm surprised you have this opinion. The money going into the Large HARDON Particle Acclerator is the equivalent of investing in the exploration of space.
ReplyDeleteI think it is money wisely invested. You almost couldn't spend too much money on such a project.
If you were saying that $7 Billion was being wasted on welfare, I'd be with you. But, $7 Billion is pocket change when it comes to the exploration of particle physics.
This is our future.
THIS PARTICULAR SCIENCE PROJECT IS A WASTE.
ReplyDeleteNOT EVERY GRANT REQUEST IS GOOD
WE OUGHT TO BE RESEARCHING POLYWELL
ReplyDeleteOh, relax, Pastorius. The Large HARDON!!! (hahahahaa!) Collidor--which is not a U.S. project, but is located near Geneva--is funded mainly by the Swiss and the French. Additional contributions have come from Canada, India, Japan, Russia and the U.S.
ReplyDeleteBut before you get all indignant about it, there were no U.S. tax dollars involved: American contributions were in the form of equipment construction, conducted at Brookhaven, Fermilab and Berkeley Lab. While the project did benefit from the knowledge of American intellectuals at these institutions (goddamn intellectuals!), the monetary cost doesn't come close to the Large HARDON!!! (hahahahaa!) Collidor's total budget.
In fact, the U.S. contribution has been so minimal that, if the LHC does manage to pay off in the form of important discoveries, we'll be lucky to find out about it before the newspapers do. Nope, we're not really on the leading edge anymore.
So if you don't understand the experiment and you didn't pay for it, you might as well not worry about it.
Brandon,
ReplyDeleteNote that Reliapundit is the one complaining about the Large Hardon, not me.
I think particle accelerator is a good idea. Too bad it had a premature ejaculation and that it will take two months for it to get up and running again.
7 billion for collider-BAD!
ReplyDelete7 billion to feed and house poor-GOOD!
Need to not worry how we got here!
Need to worry where we are going!