This morning in Geneva, CERN fired up the Large Hadron Collider…
…the protons were “duly unleashed”. But, according to this, it’s going to be a while before they discover the Higgs boson (”God Particle”) or, we all get sucked in to a black hole.
Even worse…
Indeed, if the boson’s properties obey the strictures laid down for it by Peter Higgs and the other physicists who predicted it way back in the 1960s, the moment of discovery may turn out to be something of an anticlimax. Assuming that moment can be defined, of course.
Hmmm…”Assuming that moment can be defined!!??”, that doesn’t sound nearly as spectacular as I was hoping. But, I know nothing of particle physics. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know so many people were looking for the Higgs boson until recently. I like all the pictures though.
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Tags: god particle, higgs boson, large hadron collider, particle physics
J wrote,
I was just in a black hole for the past hour.
I prayed hard to get out and it worked.
No, wait…that was a faculty meeting.
My bad.
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Pribek wrote,
hmmm…here’s what I was thinking, J; I hope it gets to the point where it’s practical for someone to obtain their own Hadron Collider. You know, so you could create a little black hole at whim. It would be useful for situations like you describe. I’d like to see a rack mount unit.
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
… that’s odd because this is what I was thinking; J and P, — those amp valves [or tubes] you’ve been harping on and on about, are hermetically sealed in a vacuum, no? And outer space is essentially a 42 parts per billion vacuum and chock full of electromagnetic energy… so if I took another large Hadron Collider up to the Moon, and biased the earth one with that one….. couldn’t I sort of then have an output and gain that might get God’s attention?
I know that billions would line up to test out their Stairway to Heaven, and pay good money to do so.
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Pribek wrote,
Where do I plug in?
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
chris wrote,
Sign me up and also find me the marketing guru tha associated god into the mix. Particle accelerators are aged technology, if this guru can generate this much interest with one simple word than I definetly need his services.
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Pribek wrote,
God sells; eh chris?
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Nearly every sales professional falls into the trap of talking too much. “It can be a real buzz-kill, anticlimactic…”
There’s Hope: with your very own Higgs Boson Large Hadron Collider Lapel Pin…. one, two-word closer “God Particle.”
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Transformer Glitch Shuts Down Biggest Atom Smasher [SOURCE]
UPDATE: GENEVA (AP) — The world’s largest particle collider malfunctioned within hours of its launch to great fanfare, but its operator didn’t report the problem for a week.
In a statement Thursday, the European Organization for Nuclear Research reported for the first time that a 30-ton transformer that cools part of the collider broke, forcing physicists to stop using the atom smasher just a day after starting it up last week.
The faulty transformer has been replaced and the ring in the 17-mile circular tunnel under the Swiss-French border has been cooled back down to near zero on the Kelvin scale — minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit — the most efficient operating temperature, said a statement by CERN, as the organization is known.
When the transformer malfunctioned, operating temperatures rose from below 2 Kelvin to 4.5 Kelvin — extraordinarily cold by most standards, but warmer than the normal operating temperature.
CERN had not reported any problems with the project since its launch Sept. 10, but issued its statement shortly after The Associated Press called asking about rumors of troubles.
Physicists said it wasn’t surprising problems would occur in getting a huge and immensely complicated collection of equipment like the Large Hadron Collider up and running smoothly.
Link | September 21st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
J wrote,
The malfunction was probably caused by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. FSM has a history of screwing with scientists. From the Open Letter to the Kansas School Board:
“He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage. We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease.”
Source - http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/
Link | September 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Heir Dr Jam[b]: Yeah, I know… sort of like the mirror thing on Hubble.
At the Hadron Collider site, This item that broke is a “30 ton Transformer.”
I don’t think that it is one of those movie things either. It really sits somewhere on a foundation that has the transformer encased in a coolant that I am sure weighs 30 more tons, or as much as a lake. Can you imagine the Gumba with the clipboard who took delivery of the unit…. “Check: One 30-ton Transformer… uhhh just put over there.”
There are margins of error that many of us don’t count on… which can only be called “His Noodly Appendage..” eh?
btw, nice picture in the 15 year anniversary Casio watch event. Your jest is much needed, and your wit, well you know… can’t be beat.
FAQ: Is FSM a definition of Ambiguity Threat? do you think?
[And Pribek, thanks again for letting me play on your site.]
bye, pd-in-full Pat. Pending
Link | September 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 am
J wrote,
Good point, PD. I’m in a froggy mood ’cause we’ve got faculty meeting in a few moments.
So here’s what I’m guessing:
Transformer coolant is PCBs, right?…the transformer is probably encased in toxic PCBs…contained within a cardboard box lined with live bunnies and baby ducks (known for their polychlorinated-biphenyl absorbing abilities). They probably got a good deal on it at China-mart. I still think the Flying Spaghetti Monster had something to do with it.
BTW, I missed International Talk Like A Pirate Day last Friday. Maybe I’ll try some “Aye-aye’s” and “Arghh’s” during the faculty meet.
Link | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Pribek wrote,
International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!??
I’m soooooo far out of the loop.
Am I to understand that they had a backup 30 ton tranny on hand?
That’s good thinking right there.
Link | September 23rd, 2008 at 6:57 pm