http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/the_large_hadron_collider.html
The CMS is one of two general-purpose LHC experiments designed to explore the physics of the Terascale, the energy region where physicists believe they will find answers to the central questions at the heart of 21st-century particle physics.
I've glanced over the article twice now, and I'm still not exactly sure what this thing actually does, aside from looking totally awesome.
Paging Dr. Freeman...
i would hate to have to diagnose an intermitent electrical problem on one of those.
edit: check the first pic after the jump
Luke wrote:I've glanced over the article twice now, and I'm still not exactly sure what this thing actually does, aside from looking totally awesome.
Didnt read the article either. I think its a particle accelerator. Runs particles into each other at nearly the speed of light. Subatomic awesomeness ensues.
I sure hope subatomic awesomness ensues. It'd be quite a letdown for 6 billion Euros of science to result in nothing more than a cool looking, HalfLife-esque contraption.
Cue the "oh noes, it's going to create a black hole and destroy us all!!!" crowd...
J
Luke wrote:I sure hope subatomic awesomness ensues. It'd be quite a letdown for 6 billion Euros of science to result in nothing more than a cool looking, HalfLife-esque contraption.
Eh, I can think of worse things to spend six billion of someone else's money on.
All I know is that looking at those pictures is causing interference with my little tin foil hat. I can't phone home.
They built a stargate?
I had the experience several years back of helping a friend(grad student), and his professor, who were building some type of modified particle accelerator in a small office complex.
I never really understood all the details(and of course, I had to swear to secrecy), but I remember they needed about 1-million amps to make the thing work, at which point they were expecting a fission-like reaction. I told them I was sure to be in another county when they flipped the switch on that!
I'm not sure why they hired me, as I only have basic electronic engineering knowlege...along with all the general BS knowlege. It must have been the cheap labor...
explained:
Explained??? In a rap video??
Now I've seen everything.
"Wow! Is there anything better than nerds rapping old school??"
I'd hate to be one of the guys that has to dust that thing.
that's the funniest thing I've seen in a loonnng time 
I think its a particle accelerator. Runs particles into each other at nearly the speed of light. Subatomic awesomeness ensues.Could you imagine how much faster it would be if you just added a junkyard turbo and Megasquirt?
Jay wrote:Cue the "oh noes, it's going to create a black hole and destroy us all!!!" crowd...
J
Now, come on, Jay. They tell us there is practically zero chance of that happening.
Kinda like the first atomic bomb they set off. There was some debate as to if the whole planet would go, all of Nevada or just what happened. Oh, well. Set it off and let's see.
All they have to do is switch two letters and they have a great name for a gay bar.
jg
If a mini black hole goes off and we lose part of France no big deal...as long as Le Sarthe is still in tact it's all good.
I'm sorry, but am I the only one that read the title and chuckled when they saw "Large Hardon"?
Maybe . . .I dun care, LOL!
-Stig
That thing is going to make the Earth implode...
