God Hates the Hadron Collider
Apparently, forces of nature and supernature do not like the collider:
“The Large Hadron Collider, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, just cannot catch a break. First, a coolant leak destroyed some of the magnets that guide the energy beam. Then LHC officials postponed the restart of the machine to add additional safety features. Now, a bird dropping a piece of bread on a section of the accelerator has, according to the Register, shut down the whole operation.
The bird dropped some bread on a section of outdoor machinery, eventually leading to significant over heating in parts of the accelerator. The LHC was not operational at the time of the incident, but the spike produced so much heat that had the beam been on, automatic failsafes would have shut down the machine.”
Really.
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See also:
The Collider, the Particle and a Theory About Fate
Source:
Baguette Dropped From Bird’s Beak Shuts Down The Large Hadron Collider (Really)
Stuart Fox
PopSci 11.05.2009
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-11/bread-loving-bird-shuts-down-lhc
November 6th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Since it’s Science Night…
It’s alive!
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-10/boston-dynamics-petman-bipedal-robot-evolution-bigdog
Assuming one could eliminate the umbilical, what are examples of offshoot consumer products?
November 6th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
She doesn’t hate it, she’s just playing hide and seek.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Barry,
I am a nuclear physicist and spent 2 months at CERN last year, preceded by a 2 week gig the year before doing a show for a CBC science program. Got to see in detail almost every square inch of the place.
So… believe me when I tell you, that machine is so unbelievably freaking complicated that it is truly astonishing that it works at all. It is not ‘plagued’ with anything – a machine that insanely complex will suffer problems in all sorts of crazy places. The space shuttle is a lego house in comparison. The problems are most certainly not “unexpected”. They are expected, though of course unpredictable, and quite frankly, far fewer (so far) than feared.
The LHC is a testament to the amazing power of humans to get the most seemingly unbelievable things done when they put their minds and convictions to it. Like the man-on-the-moon program.
It certainly will suffer more ’setbacks’ before they get that puppy running smoothly. We all know that.
But it will be worth the trouble.
“subtle is the lord, but malicious she is not” – Albert Einstein
November 6th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I dont doubt it a second — I just loved the headline . . .
November 7th, 2009 at 12:25 am
he hates the bears too
November 7th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I’m gonna surmise a guess that they don’t get this thing working properly until around December 21st, 2012…
November 7th, 2009 at 9:01 am
my
2 cents
fyi – Bush I grabbed the concept from Fermilab Batavia IL and sent its bigger brother to Texas were fireants shut it down – then the super big brother went overseas and became CERN .. having said that in fun – I agree with what mpavan says (visited from pictures/video only)
more on .. mpavan – would you like to comment on whether the supposed galactic alignment on 12/21/2012 would be good for the project and/or bad for earth? I hear the project could never breach containment or be longlived enough to be significant if it did, because the system can’t sustain past a breach
my nickels worth – like space exploration beyond the moon – imo this project is more about advancemnet of a tribe than all the people of the earth .. but what do I know .. I guess ya gotta be there ….. then again hows that old cap’ism saying go “hard to convince a man otherwise when his livelihood depends on its belief”
November 8th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
This reminds me of the Babel fish:
“The argument goes like this : “I refuse to prove that I exist”, says God, “for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.”
“But”, says Man, “the Babel fish is a dead giveaway isn’t it? it could not have evolved by chance. it proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don’t. QED.”
“Oh dear”, says God, “I hadn’t thought of that,” and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.”
- Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
November 14th, 2009 at 7:57 am
update: Dr Michio Kaku last night on Countdown .. beams into our tv minds (and space to its attracted black hole) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33922441#33922441
in short and for www infinitiy of the printed word .. that the Earth Sun Galaxy-center aligns .. “that happens every December” and reassured us 20121221 is nothing to be afraid of .. its just a new cycle
(Earth Sun Galaxy not necessarily in that order) searching for that order found: (but not the order)
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/07/08/planetary-alignment-dazzles-weekend-skywatchers/