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Large Hadron Collider woes delay tests until next year
A failure within the Large Hadron Collider facility caused around a hundred magnets to overheat. As if that wasn't bad enough, a leak caused by a faulty electrical connection saw its 27-kilometer-long ring to be flooded with a ton of liquid helium. Sounds like a hell of a lot of cleanup, and it turns out that it may take the LHC crew longer to get the experiments back underway than previously thought, as we're now hearing that the LHC won't start accelerating and smashing particles until sometime next year, after its scheduled winter shutdown (which helps save money on electricity).
From the LHC press release:
A full investigation is underway, but it is already clear that the sector will have to be warmed up for repairs to take place. This implies a minimum of two months down time for LHC operation. For the same fault, not uncommon in a normally conducting machine, the repair time would be a matter of days.
If all you wanted this Christmas was to learn about the mysteries of the universe, you'll have to ask Santa next time.
By KC at 7:21 PM ON 09/23/08
Super Collider.... But I just met 'er!
By frxnkytruant at 6:33 PM ON 09/24/08
sorry gravitons... looks like youll have to wait just a bit longer to catch our attention.
i DO believe in super strings, i DO, i DO! the truth is [still] out there...
By kannedfaru at 6:45 AM ON 09/25/08
I think the nuts who thought the world would end sapped it. I mean how can a bunch of inspectors inspect 27 kilometers of equipment?!
By Righteousboy at 9:21 AM ON 09/25/08
Hrmm Odd how something this big that has been cared for and worked on for so long would have a major hiccup like this. Seems to me OL G W BUSH is at it again, probably tried to trip it up so it would explode, then say it was terrorists and then try and take control of the U.N. and then the world as head ASSHOLE of the world
By red75 at 11:38 AM ON 09/25/08
It's a plot by a more intelligent species living in a parallel universe!
By Da Kine at 11:41 AM ON 09/25/08
Wow, we can't even get in four comments before one of the 'Blame Bush for Everything' loonies pops up and makes their presence known.
'Righteousboy', I sincerely hope you were kidding; if not, then you really need to get some help.
By Chewy Cadaver at 12:37 PM ON 09/25/08
Ignorance is bliss, right righteousboy. Talk about de-evolution. People will be walking back into the jungles pretty soon.
By theDoctor at 4:34 PM ON 09/25/08
I did try walking back into the jungle, Chewy. The natives weren't terribly welcoming. And all I did at Cern was reverse the polarity of the neutron flow...shouldn't've shut'er down. Might be cybermats for all I know.
By Peeps at 5:14 PM ON 09/25/08
Super strings? What a load of garbage. That theory has more holes than a lambskin condom. "Let's assume there's ten dimensions! Oh, and we don't know what equations we need, but we know the ANSWERS to the equations! 42!"
Good God...has anybody ever heard of Ockham's Razor?
By Woodstock at 7:03 PM ON 09/25/08
With all of that helium loose, did everyone sound like Donald Duck for the whole day ? Much as I'd like to blame Dubya for this, I don't think he can spell collider without help from a 5th grader.
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Woodstock:
With all of that helium loose, did everyone sound like Donald Duck for the whole day ? Much as I'd like to blame ...More »