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LHC To Idle All Accelerators In 2012

Posted by Soulskill on from the there-goes-that-prophecy dept.

sciencehabit writes "Particle physicists and science fans everywhere knew that the European particle physics laboratory, CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland, would shut down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest atom smasher, for all of 2012 for repairs. Many expected that the shutdown would stretch to more than a year, which CERN officials confirmed today. But most probably did not expect CERN to idle all its other accelerators at the same time, shutting down a variety of smaller projects and forcing hundreds of scientists not working on the LHC to take an unanticipated break in data taking. The longer shutdown could be a chance for US scientists working on the Tevatron at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, if researchers there can persuade lab management to keep the machine going instead of shutting it down in 2011 as currently planned." Reader suraj.sun notes other CERN news making the rounds right now about plans for the International Linear Collider, a 31-kilometer-long collider designed to complement the LHC. Construction on the ILC could begin as soon as 2012.

15 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Relief... by mconeone · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess we won't have to worry about 12-21-2012 after all.

    1. Re:Relief... by starglider29a · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's a self-UN-fulfilling prophecy... just like when computer makers began rounding up to 667MHz processors. Apparently, 66Mhz, 266MHz, 466MHz needed to be rounded down, but they had to round up 666.

    2. Re:Relief... by localman57 · · Score: 4, Funny

      In the 80's we bought a PCjr. Does that count?

    3. Re:Relief... by Torodung · · Score: 3, Funny

      No! That's exactly what the Mayans would have us believe, from their time traveling relative dimension pocket near the Andromeda galaxy. The only way to prevent the catastrophic end of the B'ak'tun is to RUN the Large Hadron Collider and create a Higgs Boson that will counteract all the neutrino emissions from the sun.

      For the love of god, we must run the LHC or we may yet pass through the CGI event horizon, our imaginations running wild, causing the ruination of all the good creatures and the ultimate victory of the Woodland Critters!

      (Oof. Perhaps I shouldn't have watched the John Cusack 2012 movie and South Park back to back on Netflix last night?)

      --
      Toro

  2. This is how it'll happen by easterberry · · Score: 5, Funny

    "we're supposed to shut it down for maintenance"
    "No! This is our only chance to beat CERN! While they're still doing repairs!
    "You have to stop, the numbers! They're not stable!"
    "Almost there... almost there..."
    "GORDON! GET OUT OF THERE!"
    *green electrical storm*
    "My god... I never thought I'd see a resonance cascade, let alone create one!"

    and that's it people. We sent the crowbar to CERN. We're doomed.

    1. Re:This is how it'll happen by Luckyo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sell the idea to Valve. I mean it.

  3. DAMNIT!!! by SpongeBob+Hitler · · Score: 2, Funny

    And here I was hoping they would end the world!

    --
    Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg?
  4. Refractory Period by boneclinkz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Even the largest hadrons can't stay active forever.

    1. Re:Refractory Period by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Forever?

      Those commercials say that if your large hadron lasts 4 hours, you should call your doctor.

      Personally, if my large hadron lasts 4 hours, I'm calling everybody!

  5. Getting tired.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    of reading about LHC repairs. Just create the damn black hole

  6. Re:Not sure what to make of the LHC so far by localman57 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah. The news is all like: "Hey, did you hear about the new collider? It's like the largest ever and stuff." "Really? Does it work?" "No, but if it did, I bet it'd be really cool."

  7. Re:2012 by localman57 · · Score: 4, Funny
    I think so Brain,

    But how will we shrink the Earth to an object the size of a pea on December 21, 2012?

    Narf!

    FTFY.

  8. Re:kraft dinner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's hard to believe that you're posting at -1 with such a valuable outlook. Thanks for your contribution!

  9. Re:kraft dinner by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I work on the LHC, and if its pinnacle of achievement, its major contribution to the progress of humanity, turns out to be cheaper Kraft dinners, I think I'm going to go lie under a bus.

  10. It's all falling into place by Torodung · · Score: 2, Funny

    OMG. Here is confirmable data, streaming in newsfeeds from all over the world, that the LHC is actually involved in a time travel paradox with a Higgs boson it can never create. Eventually the entire site will be nuked from orbit by the Higgs boson, because it's the only way to be sure.

    --
    Toro