Large Hadron Collider Accelerates First Atoms To Nearly Speed Of Light

[Judi Lynn]

31 July 2018, 7:05 am EDT By Nicole Arce Tech Times

The Large Hadron Collider has successfully accelerated its first atoms to breakneck speeds, a feat that could one day lead to new forms of matter.

The LHC at the European Center for Nuclear Research at the France-Switzerland border was able to rev up full-blown atoms to nearly the speed of light.

Experts say this is the first successful test for CERN's Gamma Factory, a project that aims to find new ways to produce high-energy gamma rays.

Large Hadron Collider Accelerates Atoms
The LHC normally generates collisions between protons and then smashes the nuclei for four weeks before the machine is shut down for annual maintenance. This is the first time the atom smasher has accelerated nuclei with at least one electron that orbits them.

More:
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/232824/20180731/large-hadron-collider-accelerates-first-atoms-to-nearly-speed-of-light.htm

[sandensea]

1. It's fascinating at first blush; but frankly sounds a little too much like playing God.

God help us all.

[mbusby]

4. Actually...

...it's playing physics. What is this god thing?

[defacto7]

5. That's what they used to say about telescopes,

geometry, chemistry, heart transplants... and on and on...

[Javaman]

7. "god" is not involved. nt

[cstanleytech]

9. No, its just science. nt

[qazplm135]

10. just so I am clear

you think God goes around smashing atoms together really fast?

[lastlib]

12. Well, I wouldn't attribute it to God, but......

it's kinda how stars work; and how we get stuff like iron...gold...uranium...helium...other stuff.....

[qazplm135]

13. Stars work by fusion

the atoms aren't fused at or near the speed of light I don't believe.

Similar processes but I think there's a difference.

[Duppers]

14. Bye

[procon]

2. Meanwhile:"The USA's Super Collider Lies Abandoned in the Texas Desert"

Believe it or not, the USA almost won the race to create a fully functioning super collider, and it would have been 3 times as big as the current CERN super collider in Europe. Construction began in 1991 on what would have been the world's largest particle accelerator near the town of Waxahachie, Texas. The estimated circumference of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) was going to be 87.1 km. To put this into perspective, the CERN super collider is only 27 kilometers in circumference. Construction on the project had already reached a very advanced state, but the United States Congress ultimately defunded the project, leaving the superconductor abandoned in the Texas desert.


https://interestingengineering.com/usas-super-collider-lies-abandoned-texas-desert

Kudos for the scientists of Europe! Does the US have any other similar scientific projects? Or are we too busy paying for senseless war toys and more welfare for the wealthy?

[lastlib]

6. This absolutely infuriated me!

(but I believe it was 1981. It was that basturd Reagun that pulled the plug on it....that goat-f&cking POS! )

We can't be doing science -- it might inspire kids to be more than cogs in the corporate profit machine. And they might get a sense of wonder if they start learnin' 'bout that stuff in skools. Then they might start questionin' things--how things are in the world, and how they got that way, and how they can change 'em. Plus, we gotta give our billionaires their tax cuts.

[Javaman]

8. it was canceled in '93. nt

[qazplm135]

11. so it was Bill

doing the goat f*cking then.

[Victor_c3]

15. Buying stealth bombers at $1 billion a pop was more important

After all, we don’t have parades and holidays to celebrate science.

Unless someone died, there isn’t even a point in having a mattress sale on those dates either!

[gtar100]

3. And we're still here! Yea!