So what exactly is the Large Hadron Collider? What does it do? What exactly will it prove?
The next few months will be full of comments, rumours and scare stories about the infamous Large Hadron Collider which is basically the largest scientific experiment of all time and without doubt the most complicated device every produced.
The whole machine is housed in a circular tunnel which has a circumference of some 17 miles. The idea is to fire two particles in separate directions at supersonic speeds and make them collide into each other to see exactly what happens. Sound straight forward?
Well the idea is that the supercharged particles will replicate the first seconds of the universe after the big bang which was supposed to have created the universe as we know it today. There are all kinds of scare stories doing the rounds including the fact that the Large Hadron Collider could actually create a ‘black hole' which could in theory swallow up the earth!
Interestingly even the most sceptical of scientists involved with the experiment have confirmed that ‘black holes' could be formed but they claim they would be tiny and soon evaporate. However, when you consider that these particles will travel near the speed of light, are loaded with energy and powered by magnets which are cooled to -271 centigrade (colder than outer space) quite literally anything could happen.
Phase one has started and there is expectation that we should see the first structured particle collision in October. Watch this space! |
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