Hunt for Higgs...

boson is still elusive, ambiguous:   Possible Higgs boson signals, but we won't know for sure until next year.

In the meantime the universe continues to exist.

Playing with fire at the LHC...

First Antimatter Atoms Created and Trapped.

This can't possibly end well (I've seen the movie).

Image courtesy UPI and CERN.

Testing the "standard model"...

Large Hadron Collider: Touring the Physics Frontier

Congrats, and we're still here...

Collider Achieves Record In Hunt For God Particle

Uh oh...

Scientists Restart World’s Most Powerful Atom Smasher

Isn't that why it was built?

Scientists Hope LHC Will Answer Big Questions.

Perhaps if it doesn't detect the elusive Higgs boson it may provide the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything."

World's largest machine...

explained: The Genesis 2.0 Project.

End of the world on standby...

as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) temporarily shuts down after initial testing and calibration runs.

That will, at least, allow everyone to enjoy the holidays.

World record set...

by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as it ramps up to higher energies:

"The LHC pushed protons to 1.18 TeV (trillion electron volts), surpassing the previous record of 0.98 TeV held by Fermilab’s Tevatron."

So far so good, I guess. We're still here.

Baby steps toward armageddon...

occurred early today as the Large Hadron Collider initiated collisions between protons at 900 billion electron volts of energy (900 GeV; 0.9 TeV), a level that is merely 1/15 of its full potential.

"CERN hopes to boost the energy to 1.2 TeV per beam – exceeding the world's current top collision energies of 1 TeV per beam at the Tevatron accelerator in Batavia, Illinois.

In early 2010, physicists will attempt to ramp up the energy to 3.5 TeV per beam, collect data for a few months at that energy, then push towards 5 TeV per beam in the second half of the year."

Note that:

"The LHC is designed to allow collisions at much higher energies – all the way up to 14,000 GeV (14 TeV), or 7 TeV per beam."

Clearly we're in for some astounding science, that is, if the world survives.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday...

as the countdown to the end of all things has commenced: Large Hadron Collider back online. At present, the gargantuan physics experiment is circulating protons along its 17 mi-long track, with low-energy collisions scheduled for later in the week.

So, enjoy Thanksgiving! It may be your last.

UPDATE: Here's a look at those who will destroy us.

End of days is upon us...

as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) ramps up for it's restart according to the CERN Bulletin:

"Six of the eight sectors of the LHC have now been hardware commissioned to allow the passage of beams at 1.2 TeV. The remaining two (Sectors 3-4 and 8-1) will be powered up in the coming week.

If all goes well, in just over one week from now, the beams could circulate in both pipes of the LHC. The first low-energy collisions should follow shortly after."

It's been nice knowin' ya.

You can't make this stuff up...

department: Baguette Dropped From Bird's Beak Shuts Down The Large Hadron Collider (Really).

The upside of this event is that the life of the universe as we know it has been extended a while longer.

OK, that's really cold...

Large Hadron Collider: The Coldest Place In The Universe

The 17-mi diameter accelerator has now achieved the operating temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271 C; -456 F) in all eight sectors of the LHC. This is nearly the final step in preparation for its re-start in late November.

And to the end of all things on Earth. It's been nice knowing you.

World to end in...

November when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) restarts, though at only half its energy potential.

Promises, promises.

Doomsday delayed...

yet again: Large Hadron Collider Suffers More Leaks.

Guess I'll have to prepare for my fall term stratigraphy and sedimentology class after all.

End of days...

coming soon: CERN Readies Large Hadron Collider For September Restart.

Related previous post. Like I said before, it's been nice knowin' ya.

End of the world...

delayed another few months. The start up of the Large Hadron Collider has been pushed from September to November. (See related post.)

Oh well. Guess I'll need to lecture during fall term after all. Dang.

Countdown to the end...

of all things. The Large Hadron Collider may start up again in September. Doomsayers predict the device (a grand particle physics experiment seeking the elusive Higgs boson) will spin off Earth-gobbling black holes that will consume us all.

So I guess fall quarter classes will be canceled - it's been nice knowing you. Be sure to do something especially fun this summer.