Large Hadron Collider Started Up Today
The news for the day: the Large Hadron Collider(LHC) was started up today at approximately 2:30 AM Central Time. This marks a time in history I never thought would happen. Of course, there are other particle accelerators in the world, but none this large, and I doubt there is a better chance to recreate the Big Bang. Of course, as is pointed out in CERN’s press release, it takes much more than just flipping a switch to begin the collisions and their experiments. It’s going to take at least another few weeks before they begin the experiments they are planning.
The experiments they are planning are as follows:
- ALICE: An experiment to recreate the conditions immediately after the Big Bang under controlled laboratory conditions. They are doing this in part to give CERN scientists a chance to study quark-gluon plasma.
- ATLAS: General experiment to discover things like the Higgs boson, and other physics theories.
- CMS: Generally the same as ATLAS.
- LHCb: An experiment to determine why we live in a universe that is mostly matter, and appears to be no antimatter.
- TOTEM: Appears to be an experiment to study basic physics, determine the size of the proton, and figure out the LHC’s luminosity.
- LHCf: Using forward rays to recreate cosmic rays in laboratory conditions.
The Large Hadron Collider is the largest particle accelerator ever created. The collider ring covers a large 
portion of the swiss alps, and is 26,659 m in circumference, and has 9,300 magnets inside. Apparently, one eighth of it’s cryogenic distribution system would be considered the world’s largest fridge. This is so exciting for scientists around the world. I certainly am excited.
The chance to learn about the origins of the universe, the chance to recreate the Big Bang, the possibilities are endless! To think that in less than a month, there will be a collision inside this collider, it’s amazing, the chances are wonderful!
Of course, the other side of it, there are people concerned about the dangers of the LHC, what the LHC will create. Fundamentalist Christians think this will start the apocalypse, bring the devil forward through the black hole that no one has confirmed the LHC will create. Doomssayers insist that the world will end with the first collision.
Why the focus on that? Are these people really that scared of discoveries of this magnitude?
-Ever yours in wonder
