The Large Hadron Collider was conceived to simulate the Big Bang that most likely created the physical universe. It is a $9 billion dollar venture that seeks to unlock one of the most ancient mysteries: how the cosmos all began.
How The Large Hadron Collider Works
The Large Hadron Collider is a particle accelerator located at CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It is expected that the collider will simulate the circumstances of the Big Bang. First, it will push two separate beams of protons around a 17-mile tunnel in opposite directions at the speed of light. It will then begin smashing particles into each other, which releases an enormous amount of energy that releases quarks and gluons that are normally shelled inside the nucleus.
These quarks and gluons then form a sort of plasma and quickly form protons and neutrons, or the basic stuff of matter. As the nature of matter is revealed, so the circumstances of the Big Bang may become clearer.
Scientists working on the collider experiments also hope to confirm theories about the possible existence of extra dimensions. They are also hoping to find the "Higgs boson," or "God particle" which would explain why matter has mass. The collider will continue to operate with hopes of making significant discoveries by 2009.
The Large Hadron Collider, while being a multi-million dollar venture in itself, has attracted thousands of scientists of over 80 nationalities. Many of the scientists contributed portions of the funding.
Controversy Surrounding the Large Hadron Collider
Many have lobbied to stop the research, funding, and experiments of the Large Hadron Collider. They have asserted that the experiment could lead to the creation of a black hole large enough to swallow the planet.
Physicists have acknowledged that the collider could create small black holes, but theorize that the holes would not be large enough to pose a significant risk to the planet. Small black holes would not have enough energy to remain in space long enough to damage Earth.
Others are more concerned with the gigantic sum of cash used to fund research on the collider. Many assert that that sort of money would be better spent on scientific research that could immediately benefit mankind. Scientists argue that it is essential to study where and how the universe was created in order to better understand its current and future state.
While the Large Hadron Collider has excited people worldwide because of its ambitious scope and promises of answers to age-old questions, it has also put fear and anger into others. While scientists wait the necessary weeks and months to see if the collider can indeed simulate the circumstances of the Big Bang, others are poised to continue to attack the venture.
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Abby Deliz - Abby Deliz pursued writing extensively through high school and college, and she was published several times. Most notably, she published ...
