'Super-collider' tunnel nears completion
REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
The first element of the huge magnet of the Compact Muon Solenoid experimental site at the European Organization for Nuclear Research CERN (Centre Europeen de Recherche Nucleaire) before its lowering in the French village of Cessy near the Swiss city of Geneva, in November 2006
Engineers have fitted the last major piece into what they claim is the world's largest scientific instrument – the nuclear particle accelerator filling a 27km (17-mile) circular tunnel under the Swiss-French border.
"It's exciting, but at the same time there is a feeling of relief," said Robert Aymar, the French director general of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.
The start-up date for the Large Hadron Collider, which will be used by scientists to study the make-up of matter and the universe, has yet to be set. But Dr Aymar said the €1.3bn (£1bn) project, which has been under construction since 2003, was on target to begin work this summer.
The various chambers in the tunnel – built with the help of more than 20 countries – will join in recording what happens when protons collide at the speed of light. When it is finished, scientists will lower the temperature section by section to near absolute zero – colder than outer space. Thousands of scientists from 80 countries will then use it for experiments.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP logged and may be used to prevent further submission. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by the Independent Minds Terms of Service.
- Print Article
- Email Article
-
Click here for copyright permissions
Copyright 2009 Independent News and Media Limited


Comments
I am a student of astrophysics and particle physics and have found a mistake that can cause a disaster. Years ago Einstein and the other scientists of the day theorized that matter could not travel at the speed of light. All agreed. I agree. But where the scientists made a colossal error was in the fact that you can not try to accelerate matter to that velocity, because as it travels it accumulates mass, and at the speed of light it will have infinite mass, but before it reaches infinite mass it will reach critical mass of greater, and explode just like the atomic bomb. This time it will be spontaneous proton annihilation, and the exothermic reaction will be too great for containment. I am asking all my friends to read this and send it to everyone on their e-mail lists and have them send it, too, in an attempt to stop an accident we may never recover from. They should also send it to national geographic, and president Obama of the United States.
David Edwin Latsha
131 South Third Street
Shamokin, Pa. 17872
U.S.A.
570-644-9184
570-644-2111
Hello,
I am a student of astrophysics and have found a mistake that can cause a disaster. Years ago Einstein and the other scientists of the day theorized that matter could not travel at the speed of light. All agreed. I agree. But where the scientists made a colossal error was in the fact that you can not try to accelerate matter to that velocity, because as it travels it accumulates mass, and at the speed of light it will have infinite mass, but before it reaches infinite mass it will reach critical mass and explode just like the atomic bomb. I am asking all my friends to read this and send it to everyone on their e-mail lists and have them send it, too, in an attempt to stop an accident we may never recover from. They should also send it to national geographic!!!!
Also, it is ludicrous to say that time slows up the faster you travel! The faster you go the slower time goes on? Idiotic!!! If you go fast enough time stops and you stop in your tracks? Anybody that thinks this is even remotely possible does not belong behind the controls of a device capable of destroying the world!!!
David Edwin Latsha
131 South Third Street
Shamokin, Pa. 17872
570-644-9184
570-644-2111
comments@whitehouse.gov
To all my friends out there in ciber-space,
Go to the top site, and read it, then send it to the whitehouse...the second site. When you get to the first site take notice that they think it might kill us all!!!!! I have studied particle physics and I say it WILL kill us all, and if not, most of us. We have to stop this accelerator from going on line, and it is due to go on line this year. I'm not sure of the date, but it is sometime this year.
Hurry and get this to everyone on your e-mail list, and have them get it to everyone on their list. This is the only way I can think of to stop the devastation. Asnd it will be devastating. Scientist have been guessing at things they do not know, and so far we've been lucky. But I am 100% positive that these guys don't know what they're doing and they will unleash the power of the proton bomb on an unsuspecting Earth.
Send this whole letter to the whitehouse. Plese! They can call me, or e-mail me, or come and question me. I know for a fact that this is going to blow up and it will be traveling at the speed of light and nothing on Earth can stop it. Pleas send it, This is for real. This is not a joke!
David Edwin Latsha
131 South Third Street
Shamokin, Pa. 17872
U.S.A.
570-644-9184
570-644-2111
comments@whitehouse.gov
To all my friends out there in ciber-space,
Go to the top site, and read it, then send it to the whitehouse...the second site. When you get to the first site take notice that they think it might kill us all!!!!! I have studied particle physics and I say it WILL kill us all, and if not, most of us. We have to stop this accelerator from going on line, and it is due to go on line this year. I'm not sure of the date, but it is sometime this year.
Hurry and get this to everyone on your e-mail list, and have them get it to everyone on their list. This is the only way I can think of to stop the devastation. Asnd it will be devastating. Scientist have been guessing at things they do not know, and so far we've been lucky. But I am 100% positive that these guys don't know what they're doing and they will unleash the power of the proton bomb on an unsuspecting Earth.
Send this whole letter to the whitehouse. Plese! They can call me, or e-mail me, or come and question me. I know for a fact that this is going to blow up and it will be traveling at the speed of light and nothing on Earth can stop it. Pleas send it, This is for real. This is not a joke!
David Edwin Latsha
131 South Third Street
Shamokin, Pa. 17872
U.S.A.
570-644-9184
570-644-2111
comments@whitehouse.gov
To all my friends out there in ciber-space,
Go to the top site, and read it, then send it to the whitehouse...the second site. When you get to the first site take notice that they think it might kill us all!!!!! I have studied particle physics and I say it WILL kill us all, and if not, most of us. We have to stop this accelerator from going on line, and it is due to go on line this year. I'm not sure of the date, but it is sometime this year.
Hurry and get this to everyone on your e-mail list, and have them get it to everyone on their list. This is the only way I can think of to stop the devastation. Asnd it will be devastating. Scientist have been guessing at things they do not know, and so far we've been lucky. But I am 100% positive that these guys don't know what they're doing and they will unleash the power of the proton bomb on an unsuspecting Earth.
Send this whole letter to the whitehouse. Plese! They can call me, or e-mail me, or come and question me. I know for a fact that this is going to blow up and it will be traveling at the speed of light and nothing on Earth can stop it. Pleas send it, This is for real. This is not a joke!
David Edwin Latsha
131 South Third Street
Shamokin, Pa. 17872
U.S.A.
570-644-9184
570-644-2111
Project Biowatch DARPA "heads tracking project" and DARPA neuromorphic circuits..
Jeff Holcomb, Ga.
I hate Doom Singers
Shea-laan@hotmail.co.uk