It was launched with a hiss and a roar on September 10, but there have been some set-backs with the Large Hadron Collider.
A few days ago, a malfunctioning transformer caused the main cryogenic compressors for two sections of the machine to go down.
Now, a melted electrical connection between two magnets has brought the LHC down for two months.
A project of this magnitude can hardly expected to go ahead without a few glitches; some expressed concern that the experiment could create a black hole that will swallow up the earth; that hasn’t happened, so chalk up one point for the LHC on that count.
With the project temporarily on hold, one can always watch the much-acclaimed rap about the LHC another time - or make it the ringtone on your mobile phone.

Posted by David Watson at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, is counting down the days until September 10, when the first attempt to circulate a beam in its LHC (Large Hadron Collider) will be made.

The LHC is the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, producing beams seven times more energetic than any previous machine.

Controversy has dogged the lead-up to September 10, with some claiming that carrying out such an experiment could lead to a black hole being created here on earth.

As this is such a complex area, Computerworld will stop here and point to a few websites about the CERN project:

The press centre

Physicsworld

The Register

For a virtual tour of CERN, go here

And for a rap version of what is happening at CERN, go here

Update: Well, the CERN Large Hadron Collider has been activated, and the earth hasn't begun to be sucked into a black hole yet. But according to some, that was a real possiblity; the panic extended to death threats being levelled against scientists working on the project.

A few days before the go-live on September 10, CERN issued a press release saying there was no reason to worry. For further updates on the project, there are numerous sources on the net; CERN's website is a good place to start.

Posted by David Watson at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)