This happy looking fellow is the CERN Large Hadron Collider*, and it will soon conduct its first large scale test.The LHC has a circumference of 17 miles, and is buried on average some 150 feet underground.
The purpose of the LHC is, according to the Wiki, to find out the following:
- Is the popular Higgs mechanism for generating elementary particle masses in the Standard Model realised in nature? If so, how many Higgs bosons are there, and what are their masses?[10]
- Will the more precise measurements of the masses of the quarks continue to be mutually consistent within the Standard Model?
- Do particles have supersymmetric ("SUSY") partners?[1]
- Why are there apparent violations of the symmetry between matter and antimatter?[1] See also CP-violation.
- Are there extra dimensions indicated by theoretical gravitons, as predicted by various models inspired by string theory, and can we "see" them?
- What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy?[1]
- Why is gravity so many orders of magnitude weaker than the other three fundamental forces?
But I kid! I'm sure this science project won't destroy the earth and/or the solar system.
Fun related facts: Did you know that the scientists testing the first nuclear bombs could not be sure if the nuclear reaction they would cause would cascade into a chain-reaction, destroying all matter?
Glad that didn't turn out to be true...
*also known in other circles as the Large Hardon Collider
3 comments:
I like your blog.
jumbo loan
Thanks jumbo loan. I like your positive attitude!
Wait, now I want to change my vote to Large Hardon Collider.
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