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Science

The LHC Is Back Online 123

Posted by kdawson from the exercising-the-formula-one-around-town dept.
medea and several other readers noted that the LHC came back online early this morning. Here is the tweet from CERN announcing the milestone. As we discussed a few weeks ago, CERN plans to run the LHC at half power or less through 2011.
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The LHC Is Back Online More

The LHC Is Back Online

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  • it was really screwing up gravity in canada, so cern was nice enough to demure to the ioc's request and shut off the lhc during the winter olympics

    now canadians will have to get used to floating around again

    on the plus side their compasses should work again

    • Re:its because the olympics are over (Score:5, Funny)

      by MichaelSmith ( 789609 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @10:19PM (#31311218) Homepage Journal

      on the plus side their compasses should work again

      Seeing that the north magnetic pole is in Canada I doubt compasses there work like the do elsewhere. Magnetic deviation over that country must be ... significant.

      • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

        by biryokumaru ( 822262 ) *
        *woosh*

      • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward

        There are some attractive poles on the curling team.

      • Re:its because the olympics are over (Score:5, Interesting)

        by m.ducharme ( 1082683 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @11:26PM (#31311584)

        If you're curious, here's some info on the magnetic declination in Canada. Scroll down for images. Last time I checked there was a significant change in declination from one year to the next. Government of Canada [nrcan.gc.ca]

        • If you're curious, here's some info on the magnetic declination in Canada. Scroll down for images. Last time I checked there was a significant change in declination from one year to the next. Government of Canada [nrcan.gc.ca]

          Wow. Thats enough to give me serious doubts about relying on a magnetic compass in the bush.

          • Re:its because the olympics are over (Score:5, Funny)

            by darth dickinson ( 169021 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @11:57PM (#31311770) Homepage

            It you have to use a compass in the bush, then maybe she needs to shave...

            • It you have to use a compass in the bush, then maybe she needs to shave...

              I'm more a protractor and set circle man myself.

          • Re:its because the olympics are over (Score:4, Informative)

            by m.ducharme ( 1082683 ) on Monday March 01, 2010 @12:04AM (#31311794)

            It's not too bad, if you're not covering a lot of distance in a short time, and it's better the farther south you are. Just check the chart and adjust your compass for the declination before you go, and periodically if you're on a long trip.

            Of course if you're in the Canadian Shield you also have to contend with magnetite deposits, which can be a much bigger hassle than the declination variance. A compass is still useful in the bush, but it should be one tool among many in your toolkit.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by skine ( 1524819 )

              Ah, the joys of teaching.

              It's (relatively) simple to get a student to use a formula. It's difficult to get them to realize when their answer makes no sense. (For example, a correlation coefficient that is not between -1 and 1)

              Basically, a compass can be used on its own with great accuracy, but if you see the sun rise in the "west," then it's not the compass' fault.

          • That's why every printed map that's actually intended to be used for that kind of thing has three vital pieces of information on them: the declination, the annual rate of change, and the year the map was printed. With those, and the knowledge that the map will always be printed to show true north, it's pretty easy to adjust the bearing you want to take for what the compass will show.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

          If you're curious, here's some info on the magnetic declination in Canada. Scroll down for images. Last time I checked there was a significant change in declination from one year to the next. Government of Canada

          When I started learning to fly, I saw the effect of the change when all of a sudden we had to use the new variation (and it became something that people checked you on). And some runways had to be remarked because the change in variation changed their runway numbers.

          Once you hit the territories, ev

        • Thanks for the great link. I had no idea about this and I found it amazing.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Tablizer ( 95088 )

        But they made an embarrassing mistake and accelerated a luge racer instead of particles.

      • No. The south magnetic pole is in Canada. That's why the north pole of a magnet needle will point in that direction.

        • No. The south magnetic pole is in Canada. That's why the north pole of a magnet needle will point in that direction.

          Good point.

          • This same kind of nonsense is why beginning electronics students have a rough time with transistor circuits. Electron flow is opposite 'conventional current flow.'

            To make matters worse electronic symbols have arrows that point towards the higher electron potential, not away from it. So in effect they are indicating hole flow not electron flow.

            The irony is that in electronic diagrams we are told, point the arrows (transistors and diodes in particular) towards the most negative potential expected in the ci

    • Re:its because the olympics are over (Score:5, Funny)

      by selven ( 1556643 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @10:32PM (#31311298)

      Maybe Canada paid them to have the puck gravitate over to the US's net for the hockey game.

      • I knew we shoulda nuked that thing from the orbit.

    • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

      by sznupi ( 719324 )

      Actually, I can see some group of people benefiting from the LHC being shut down until recently.

      A buddy of mine, who lived many years ago in Geneva, shared with me how the electricity there was noticeably below specs (voltage-wise) every time the previous CERN accelerator was online. Who knows whether or not that changed. But until recently it was quite cold in most of Europe...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by keeboo ( 724305 )

        Actually, I can see some group of people benefiting from the LHC being shut down until recently.

        A buddy of mine, who lived many years ago in Geneva, shared with me how the electricity there was noticeably below specs (voltage-wise) every time the previous CERN accelerator was online. Who knows whether or not that changed. But until recently it was quite cold in most of Europe...

        No biggie.

        Now, if you measure the power frequency and it drops to ~40Hz and the days seem longer than usual, then start to worry.

        • your measurement would be fail.... it would show 50Hz, and your sense of time would similarly fail in side the time dilated region.

          Now... you might notice a slightly bluer cast to the Sun.... that would be a sign to cause worry.

      • So you are suggesting that the voltage of the grid determines the temperature?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by sznupi ( 719324 )

          I'm suggesting that in low temperatures it's beneficial to have your grid operating as smoothly as possible.

          • I'm pretty sure the pumps also work well at slightly reduced voltage.

            Besides that, keeping the specified voltage is the job of the power company, not of CERN. It's not as if CERN suddenly appeared, or that the energy consumption of CERN wasn't known from the beginning.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by sznupi ( 719324 )

              I wasn't really pointing fingers at anybody for the "problem". Just saying that it might be beneficial, especially in harsh weather conditions, to have the grid (and millions devices on it, not only pumps) operating as properly as possible (I'm not sure, but from I remember it was something a bit below 200 Volts - is that still "slightly reduced voltage"?)

              Hm, now that I think about it - the impact of it (if any!) could be quite easily visualised; assuming you have some database of device failures and blacko

              • I'm not sure, but from I remember it was something a bit below 200 Volts - is that still "slightly reduced voltage"?

                IMHO yes. Until 1987, 200V was even in the specified range.
                Don't mistake the grid voltage for an exact value; there are certain deviations allowed. If your appliances can't stand those deviations, they are defective.

  • And then onward to full power in 2012! (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Just in time for the end of the world.

  • Obligatory (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Humour Bot: I said "super collider, but I just met her! And then they made a super collider. Thank you, you've been a great audience."
    Announcer: "Humour Bot 510, ladies and gentlemen."

  • So THAT's why! (Score:5, Funny)

    by DesScorp ( 410532 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @10:36PM (#31311324) Journal

    I was wondering why several places were having earthquakes. Damn you, mad scientists!

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by outsider007 ( 115534 )

      The nature of reverse causality distortion fields is such that events immediately preceding a bubble are the most affected by it.
      We can consider ourselves lucky that the worst is over and that it was only relatively minor quakes.
      Furthermore since we can assume that scientists in the future will be able to resolve these issues, it's likely that these quakes will eventually never have happened at all.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by blair1q ( 305137 )

      given that the 7 TeV kinetic energy of a proton in the LHC is about the same as a that of mosquito in a dive, i'm not sure that a collision in the LHC can be heard over the hum from the UPS under the receptionist's desk, much less incite plate-tectonic motion

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ae1294 ( 1547521 )

      What the hell is that cooper sphere in the background? It looks like something designed by a mad man from the 1800's...

      I was also disappointed that the real Half Life Freeman wasn't gimp'ed into those pictures. But I guess they really don't want to have their upstream provider shutdown the proton stream to their fancy collider for copyright theft and high treason.

      • If i remember correctly it's a bubble chamber in the garden of the building n3 ( visitor entrance, exposition, etc. ). The LHC module ( the blue tube ) was shoot in front of the "innovation and science globe" "Le Globe de la Science et de l'Innovation".

  • Big mistake (Score:5, Funny)

    by oldhack ( 1037484 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @11:13PM (#31311504)
    Should have Toyota design this thing. It'd be super reliable, and when it isn't, it'd accelerate like a motherfucker, and that would be a good thing, right.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      Should have Toyota design this thing. It'd be super reliable, and when it isn't, it'd accelerate like a motherfucker, and that would be a good thing, right.

      Damn, my Ford Pinto Collider has competition.

  • Another Sign of the Impending Apocalypse (Score:3, Funny)

    by rssrss ( 686344 ) on Sunday February 28, 2010 @11:19PM (#31311526)

    That means they can bring it up to full power in 2012. Anybody want to bet on 12/21/2012?

  • Soon the future will switch it off ;)

  • You have to state when and why. 5 bucks to enter. Winner gets pot.

  • Food for conspiracy theorists: (Score:5, Funny)

    by Herby Sagues ( 925683 ) on Monday March 01, 2010 @02:10AM (#31312380)
    Has anyone noticed that since the LHC entered active state, the number of magnitude 7.0 and above earthquakes has doubled (from ten to fourteen a year to two per month)? And that's particularly true in periods where the LHC has been working at high power (where ALL the 7.0+ earthquakes this year have occurred)? Maybe those pesky miniature black holes are not so harmelss after all. (and ducks for cover).

    • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      The "conspiracy theorists" forgot to include all the huge earthquakes in non-populated areas, like Antarctica. :P Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the antarctic plate rebound is not accelerating earthquakes elsewhere.

    • It could be that or the number of footsteps Obama makes. Both seem equally plausible to crazy people, so why not??

    • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Well, given that cosmic rays have been creating them for a long time now, I wouldn't be too worried.

      The chances of nothing unusual happening during any sufficiently long time period are pretty low. But I guess the mods goofed up and forgot to mod that post "funny" ...

      • Well, given that cosmic rays have been creating them for a long time now...

        Sure, but not underground.

        • Well, given that cosmic rays have been creating them for a long time now...

          Sure, but not underground.

          So they would have created skyquakes instead. Do you remember any?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Ihmhi ( 1206036 )

        Man, you know, sometimes I watch Star Trek and think it can be really outlandish. And then I find out space rays are making the ground shake, and Star Trek's fiction seems way saner than reality...

    • It's not the LHC, it's Sarah Palin (Score:4, Funny)

      by Kupfernigk ( 1190345 ) on Monday March 01, 2010 @06:58AM (#31313818)
      It actually started when she was selected as McCain's running mate. The actual root cause is Eisenhower spinning in his grave fast enough to distort gravity.

      Now insert optional Biden version after this post.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by tokul ( 682258 )

      Has anyone noticed that

      citation needed

      Show stats that prove what you are saying, put :) on your post or stop FUD.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by mdwh2 ( 535323 )

      I've noticed a correlation between the LHC being active, and stupid conspiracy and doom theories. Coincidence?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by blair1q ( 305137 )

      The average number of 7.0+ quakes per year since year 1900 AD is 17.

      The number of 7.0 quakes in 2009 was 17. The number in 2008 was 12.

      There were 18 in 2007, and 4 of those were 8.0+ quakes.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by tokul ( 682258 )

        There were 18 in 2007, and 4 of those were 8.0+ quakes.

        Now limit statistics to 2010-02-27 and you will get one 8.0+ quake a day. Horrible. End of the world is coming.

        If you want to see impact of LHC to earthquakes, you should not limit your statistics to 8.0+ or 7.0+ quakes. How activity of LHC relates to Earth activity? Are you sure that there were no such periods of increased quake activity before LHC was built?

  • Should I take it that baguettes are now persona non grata in the LHC cafeteria?

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