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Large Hadron Collider countdown going strong

CERN loves the smell of protons in the morning. Last Friday the European particle physics lab began testing the system for injecting a proton beam into the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which if you haven't heard by now is a giant particle accelerator 27 kilometers (17 miles) in circumference. Engineers successfully fired a low-intensity beam of five million protons (the yellow in this image) clockwise for three kilometers between two checkpoints in the ring. Tests continued through Saturday. It was the first time the lab had tried out a magnet that injects protons into the LHC from a less powerful booster accelerator. CERN announced yesterday it will test a counterclockwise beam over the weekend of August 22. The purpose of the LHC is to smash those two beams together, which ought to happen for the first time later this fall. The LHC is scheduled to get its first fully circulating clockwise beam on Sept. 10. You can follow the machine's status at CERN's LHC First Beam Web site, which includes a handy countdown box. Look out, Higgs boson: T-minus 28 days and counting.

Related: Fermilab says: "Hey wait, we're in the Higgs hunt, too!"

Image credit: CERN

 

Tags: proton, large hadron collider, magnet, protons, quantum physics
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  1. 1. jtankers 02:58 PM 8/12/08

    Collisions are scheduled to begin at just under 1 TeV October 21 and are expected to slowly increase to 5Tev over the next few months. I would very much like Dr. Rossler's plea to world for a safety conference to rebut or confirm safety arguments before collision thresholds are surpassed for the first time at rest with respect to Earth's frame of reference (head-on collisions unlike cosmic ray collisions).

    The lack of discussion and attempt to ignore Dr. Rossler's plea rather than directly address it is disturbing.

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  2. 2. ChrisJones 05:24 PM 8/12/08

    GO LHC!! Rossler is a crackpot. And, hey, even if we do all get sucked into a singularity, we'll all be pretty much beyond caring at that "point." :-)

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  3. 3. Username 12:05 PM 8/19/08

    Dr. Rossler has no ties to CERN, he is therefore more objective on the LHC possible outcomes&

    Beams may begin September 10th, but collisions will not begin before October 21 at slowly increasing energies.

    If micro black holes are created, Dr. Rosslers calculations estimate 50 months to 50 years to grow large enough to destroy Earth.

    Abstract below from Dr. Rosslers plea to the world, copy available on LHCFacts.org.

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  4. 4. Username 12:10 PM 8/19/08

    Cern's Cosmic Ray Explanation is not proven as people are led to believe.

    As for naturally occurring high-energy cosmic rays creating MBHs, this is theoretical also and has never been observed or proven. “What is different, physicists admit, is that the fragments from cosmic rays will go shooting harmlessly through the Earth at nearly the speed of light, but anything created when the beams meet head-on in the collider will be born at rest relative to the laboratory and so will stick around and thus could create havoc.” From ‘New York Times’

    oh yeah, Hawking radiation is fiction, it has yet to be observed, or proven. This is what they hope will cause the evaporation of the MBHs if created.

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  5. 5. Username 12:10 PM 8/19/08

    Recently two more experts, outside of CERN, making their own objective report of what potentially may happen with the LHC outcome..and suggesting to run the LHC at lower energies until more research is done.

    Holger B. Nielsen
    Masao Ninomiya

    Actual Quote from their paper, p27:

    "From the LHC-threatening perspective, the main point of the present article is that the LHC should really not be allowed to operate at full intensity or beam energy by these effects on the initial state due to SI."

    SOURCE:
    Holger B. Nielsen, Masao Ninomiya:
    Test of Influence from Future in Large Hadron Collider; A Proposal

    There is much more info on the LHC concerns, this listed is just a fraction of possible outcomes.

    None of these negative outcomes have been dismissed as bunk, because no one knows exactly what the LHC will produce or do. CERN likes to talk in terms of low acceptable risk levels in order to dismiss all the potential negative outcomes and focus our attention on all the positive potential outcomes. They are not sure if even those theories will be proven.

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  6. 6. Elspeth 07:21 AM 9/8/08

    Come Wednesday we will either be one step closer to understanding the origins of our planet or one step closer to destroying the planet once and for all. Which will it be? Well, we will all just have to wait and see.

    www.thebugz.com

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  7. 7. dafarmkid 12:17 AM 9/10/08

    I believe the experiment will go terribly wrong.This will cause the Earth to tilt more than normal.This will cause tidal waves that will move hundreds of miles inland,and kill millions.Because of the shifting our orbit will be changed,causing more problems. I wonder if this will happen all at once or over the next 3-4 years?

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  8. 8. goodbyeworld 12:20 AM 9/10/08

    End of the world party at my house.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  9. 9. goodbyeworld in reply to dafarmkid 12:21 AM 9/10/08

    Myans predicted 2012. Sounds about right. The great succession.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  10. 10. cesantiago 10:35 AM 9/10/08

    who wants to know how the earth form? We know that we are here living. why we don't care about people that are in hunger, kids around the world suffering from wars and deseases dying and animals dying and our planet is dying little by little because our stupid things we do. why we don't use that money (billions) to do something to save earth, people, animals, plants and everything that God gave us to protect and take care of. why we have to go over earth. who cares about how it form and for what? the antartica is melting and the polar bears are dying who is going to take care of that? what about if the experiment goes wrong (i know all we are going to dye but why has to be when the human being want it and not when God decided to do it) We need to put more attention to the climate and the global warming and pollution and stop playing around and take care of the planet and forget about the stars and the moon and other planets we have plenty in here to worry about.

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  11. 11. gunondeer 11:16 AM 9/10/08

    I think you will find a useful particle with this research. The tachyon particle. It will come into existance if you slow it down below the speed of light. If this can be done, the particle picks up the ability of data carrier and is impervious to matter(ordinary). In other words , you can send data from point a to b, directly through the earth. Say: from Tampa, Fl to anchorage Ak directly throrugh the earth. Just think of the military appts?

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  12. 12. poopiepants 11:42 AM 9/10/08

    get to know Jesus today....because the end is near !

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  13. 13. poopiepants 11:43 AM 9/10/08

    Get to know Jesus today.....the end is near !!!!!

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  14. 14. john smith 03:41 PM 9/10/08

    should not do this. Im not willing to take a chance at wipeing out humanity. There is a thin line between genius and insanity and I think these guys crossed it. these guys are thinking of themselfs. All they want is the nobel prize. They could care less if they kill us all. somebody needs to end this before it gets out of hand.

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  15. 15. john smith 03:44 PM 9/10/08

    This is too much power for one man. Im not willing to let someone gamble with the eaths fate. This could do more harm than good. Are you willing to die for this? This should be stopped.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  16. 16. dejangex 05:10 PM 9/13/08

    http://lhccountdown.info - for latest lhc info and countdown

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  17. 17. Lostangelfound7 10:43 PM 11/3/09

    The signs are every where people!! Ask Jesus to forgive you from your sins and wash you clean! The End Is Near! Read the Holy Bible it is all there! Get Ready to meet your maker! Our Redemption Draweth Near! Jesus died for you and me! He loves us all. His Forgivness is for everyone! All you have to do is stop being so proud thinking you have all the answeres and accept His Love and Mercy!

    THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!!

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