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Ask Slashdot: Should Scientists Build a New Particle Collider In Japan?

Posted by Unknown on from the cue-godzilla-jokes dept.

gbrumfiel writes "The world's most powerful particle collider ended an epic proton run yesterday morning, and researchers are already looking to the future. They want to build a 31-kilometer, multi-billion-dollar International Linear Collider (ILC) to study the recently-discovered Higgs boson in more detail and to look for new things as well. Japan has recently emerged as the front-runner to host the new collider. The Liberal Democratic Party, which won this weekend's elections, actually support the ILC in its party platform. But it's not yet clear whether real money will be forthcoming, or whether European and American physicists will back a Japanese bid. What do Slashdotters think? Does particle physics need a new collider? Should it go to Japan?"

5 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. Why not? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    World class universities and scientists, a willing government and easy access to the country for foreign nationals. What's not to like?

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    1. Re:Why not? by boristdog · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Probably the most expensive place to build on the planet, other than some small nation-states or large cities.
      Though Andorra may be pretty cheap.

    2. Re:Why not? by s13g3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Indeed! What's not to LOVE about the idea of building a multi-billion dollar piece of scientific equipment whose scale qualifies it for one of the most mammoth--yet still delicate--engineering projects in human history, which depends critically on the entire thing staying in one piece (usually built below-ground) and in perfect alignment...

      in one of the most seismologically active countries on the planet.

      Brilliant!

      --
      "Inveniemus Viam Aut Faciemus" 'We will find a way... Or we will make one!' --Hannibal of Carthage
  2. 31km in an Earthquake Zone by BoRegardless · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does a multi-billion 31 km long particle collider that must remain aligned belong in one of the seismically most active areas of the world?

  3. Re:Noooo! by RicktheBrick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is like a child who has not opened all of their Christmas presents and yet demands more. The Cern Collider is not even at maximum power yet. At least wait until a couple of years of using it at maximum power before deciding that we need a new one. How about the one that is on the international space station? I thought that there were collision from particles from super nova that were much more powerful than even the new Cern Collider. At least play with the toys you have now before asking for new ones.