LHC Offline Until April 2009 (Or Longer) 298
rufey writes "The recent problems at the Large Hadron Collider will now keep it idle until spring 2009. The official press release is here. The LHC went offline due to a suspected failure in a superconducting connection, which overheated and caused around 100 of the LHC's super-cooled magnets to heat up by as much as 100 degrees. This resulted in the accidental release of a ton of liquid helium. The process required to repair the failed superconducting connection involves weeks of warming up the affected area from -456 degrees Fahrenheit to room temperature, and then several more weeks to cool it back down after the repair is made. The total amount of time to do this will spill over into CERN's scheduled winter maintenance/shutdown period, which is partly done to save money on electricity during the period of peak demand."
I can wait (Score:5, Funny)
Hmmmmmm (Score:3, Funny)
Damn (Score:4, Funny)
Now I'll have to wait even longer to welcome our new demonic overlords who were supposed to come out of the stargate that the LHC will create.
Now what do I do? (Score:5, Funny)
This is unacceptable. I demand they destroy the world now.
Projected start date (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Not the end of the world (Score:5, Funny)
A year from now everyone will be complaining about the huge price tag on this thing that has never been 100% operational.
It's the Windows Vista of supercolliders.
Re:Not the end of the world (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Damn (Score:4, Funny)
Ouch (Score:5, Funny)
I understand things were going well - then there was this 'big bang'....
Re:-456 degrees? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hmmmmmm (Score:5, Funny)
It looks like you're trying to repair a superconductor coolant loop. Would you like to:
(a) vent all helium
(b) order another 30 ton transformer
(c) damn the torpedoes, lets make some black holes.
Save energy ? what the hell ? (Score:3, Funny)
if there is anything that world shouldnt be saving energy, if there is anything that needs to be subsidized by governments, this is it.
because, this is IT. if the god particle is found, the smallest block of EXISTENCE will be found.
im appalled how EU is not being of sufficient assistance in this. unbelievable.
Re:I can wait (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Damn (Score:5, Funny)
Now I'll have to wait even longer to welcome our new demonic overlords who were supposed to come out of the stargate that the LHC will create.
Well, it looks like the best estimates will have the LHC running full collisions will be sometime in December, 2012.
Hey wait a minute!
Ton of Helium (Score:3, Funny)
[I'm being facetious about the weights, but in terms of cost, losing a ton of helium is freakin' expensive]
Re:I can wait (Score:5, Funny)
Don't worry, there will be another delay, then another, then another, until it goes live in 2012.
Re:Didn't they kinda predict this? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Now what do I do? (Score:5, Funny)
...spent all my money...secure in the knowledge that the world would come to an end this October
Yeah, you and all the banks!
The future is now! (Score:2, Funny)
I, for one, welcome the Higgs bosons from the future that successfully interfere with the LHC in the present!
Re:Until april? (Score:3, Funny)
There's a guy running back and forth down the tunnel with a bucket of warm water...
Re:I can wait (Score:4, Funny)
Shouldn't take THAT long (Score:2, Funny)
To upgrade to XP.
Turns out one of the new particles forgot to get certified Vista-ready.
Not naming any names here (I'm looking at you muon-antineutrino!)
Re:Now what do I do? (Score:3, Funny)
This reminds me of a friend of mine, who on his deathbed told me:
All my life, I spent 90% of my money on hookers and alcohol.. and I wasted the other 10%.
Re:-456 degrees? (Score:4, Funny)
Okay folks lets get it straight. The US isn't the only one that still doesn't use the metric system for everything.
http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/generic_editorial.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0174202331.1222276069@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdadeffffejeicfngcfkmdfkidfgh.0&deepLink=YA3_Specification_new&nodiv=TRUE&fullwidth=TRUE&edname=specSheet_YA3&carModel=Yaris&imgName=bv/CarChapter/YA3/Imagery/YA3_spec.jpg&zone=Zone%20YARIS [toyota.co.uk]
Here is a link to a Japanese car company selling a car in the UK.
They give the fuel economy in MPG as well as KM per liter.
Drives me crazy when I get UK motor cycle mag. The give the fuel economy in MPG and the fuel tank size in Liters!
They will trun it back the day after the CUBS win (Score:3, Funny)
They will trun it back the day after the CUBS win it all.
Re:Not the end of the world (Score:5, Funny)
You're being unfair, but they have a plan.
They're going to rename it the Large Mojave Collider and prove that its just bad press that is making them look bad.
Re:-456 degrees? (Score:3, Funny)
A ton is exactly 2240 lbs. Otherwise it wouldn't be a round number of hundredweights (or stones) and that would just be silly.
Unless it's a metric ton, which is spelt "tonne", and is exactly 2204 and a bit lbs. Simple, no?
Being scientists, the quantity in this instance was probably more or less a shedload.
Re:Hmmmmmm (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Not Really (Score:4, Funny)
Naw, its too late.
Turns out McCain is Kang and Obama is Kodos.
You know its useless to vote for a third candidate.
Read the article (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I can wait (Score:4, Funny)
You must not be an American. I was hoping for total annihilation rather than having to live through the election.
As a consolation prize, at least we get to watch the Palin / Biden debate. That's going to be a fun program of sure brain surgery, for sure.
Re:They will trun it back the day after the CUBS w (Score:3, Funny)
They will trun it back the day after the CUBS win it all.
Against Miami?
Yeah. Who would've thought? 100 to 1 shot! I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, put some money on the Cubs.
LHC Joke of the Day (Score:5, Funny)
A: What's the matter?
Re:They will trun it back the day after the CUBS w (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, the world ended when the Red Sox won it all, it's just that nobody noticed.
Re:I can wait (Score:2, Funny)
Re:LHC Joke of the Day (Score:2, Funny)
Think of this conversation *after* they inhaled all that Helium! All jokes are more funny in He-induced voice.
Re:They will trun it back the day after the CUBS w (Score:5, Funny)
I am dissappointed. We are on slashdot. Please say instead
"The results will be evalutaed using GNU/Hurd"
or "The operators could finish a round of DNF in the breaks" or "a microsoft linux running on phantom game consoles is used as a thin client operating system" etc...
NO Sports, please!
Re:-456 degrees? (Score:4, Funny)
1 tonne = 1000kg.
Makes no sense, and that pisses me off. I much prefer my units being eighths of a unit made up of one twelfth of a unit made up of a third of a unit made up of 1/1760th of the largest practical unit.
Re:I can wait (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I can wait (Score:5, Funny)
MODERATOR: "Senator Biden, what qualifies you to be Vice President?"
BIDEN: [answer redacted due to copyrights held by the estate of Neil Kinnock and the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome]
MODERATOR: "Yes, yes. And you, Governor Pain, what qualifies you?"
PALIN: "Nothing."[long pause] "But I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night!"
Exeunt, pursued by a bear. With hair plugs and wearing lipstick.
Which reminds me, I need to make sure that my wet bar is fully stocked.
Re:They will trun it back the day after the CUBS w (Score:5, Funny)
The aliens sabotoged it... (Score:1, Funny)
The aliens put top priority into making sure that the collider did not come online and seed a black hole.
Interestingly enough, the aliens' normal work centers around stabilizing the worldwide financial markets. That work obviously suffered while they were preoccupied. It is taking some time for them to get back on track, too.
Re:I can wait (Score:3, Funny)
You kidding? I'm having a full-out PARTY for that debate. Hot dogs, wings, and beer all around. I expect it to be more entertaining than the combined entertainment value of the last year of MTV.
Games to play: Write down your favorite dumb Palin quote of the night, toss in the hat, see which gets the most votes!
Biden roulette! Hand out poker chips, put your bets down on "Yes/No" or "Gong" for each answer.
Re:You're no kind of scientist. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I can wait (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Your telling me maintenance people cannot work (Score:3, Funny)
What if it's a really hot vacuum?