Vacuum Leaks Lead To Another LHC Delay 224
suraj.sun tips this story at ZDNet about a new problem with the LHC. Quoting:
"The restart of the Large Hadron Collider has been pushed back further, following the discovery of vacuum leaks in two sectors of the experiment. The world's largest particle collider is now unlikely to restart before mid-November, according to a CERN press statement. The project had been expected to start again in October. To repair the leaks, which are from the helium circuit into the insulating vacuum, sectors 8-1 and 2-3 will have to be warmed from 80K to room temperature. Adjacent sub-sectors will act as 'floats,' while the remainder of the surrounding sectors will be kept at 80K, CERN said in the statement. The repair work will not have an impact on the vacuum in the beam pipe. CERN has pushed back the restart a number of times, as repair work has continued. To begin with, scientists said the LHC experiment would restart in April 2009. In May, CERN [said] that the restarted experiment could run through the winter to make up some of the lost time."
ZOMG, (Score:5, Funny)
History might not repeat itself but it sure does rhyme.
Re:ZOMG, (Score:3, Funny)
It will take 3 years to come back online (Score:5, Funny)
I predict the collider turns on in 2012.
Damn you Nature! (Score:3, Funny)
Why oh why must you abhor a vacuum???
Where's the news? (Score:1, Funny)
Everybody knows that the LHC will be restarted... when, Dec. 23rd, 2012?
Vacuum Leaks... (Score:4, Funny)
... soon they won't be able to stop them. It will be a hazardous vacuum spill, endangering all the surroundings of the LHC!!
At least... (Score:4, Funny)
...the delay will mean the world lives on for 2 more months ;=)
;)
Ofcourse, A(H1N1)v will prevent the startup alltogether, as key personnel falls sick at the critical time
Then again, the sudden reappearance of sunspots on the sun probably means the super nova will come before even that happens
Oh no, I forgot to take my pills !
Re:Great (Score:2, Funny)
This is the USA that you're talking about, right? To the extent this physics knowledge is in the Bible, such efforts are unnecessary expenses. To the extent the knowledge is not in the Bible, such efforts are forbidden.
It's only a setback for lab technicians (Score:3, Funny)
Real physicists have already worked out the equations and have anticipated the results of the experiments at CERN.
Experimental lab techs are the ones who are having setbacks here.
Don't worry your little monkey brain too much. Humans are progressing just fine.
Re:*sigh* (Score:3, Funny)
"Argh."
Pirates! I knew it!
Re:*sigh* (Score:3, Funny)
You've already created a black hole though. It sucks in tax money which then promptly disappears, and nothing ever comes out of it.
Vacuum leaks are bad (Score:5, Funny)
I had a vacuum leak once and in less than 5 seconds my house, instead of just smelling like dog hair smelled like stale month old dog hair in a vacuum bag. I also learned to empty the bag more often.
OK (Score:4, Funny)
I want to know where they hid the working LHC at.
Re:*sigh* (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe LHC should merge with ISS then. At least the BH would orbit the Earth a while, giving us a little time to ... uh ... pray?
A vacuum leak causing delays? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Vacuum Leaks... (Score:1, Funny)
wow...that sucks. :)
Reminds me of that God joke... (Score:4, Funny)
To paraphrase, this guy is in the middle of a flooding city. He repeatedly refuses attempts of others to rescue him, claiming God will save him. He drowns, winds up in Heaven, and asks God why he didn't save him. "I sent you a two boats and a helicopter..."
So I can see God now using his mighty and flagellant tendrils to tinker with the LHC's inner workings and yet we still press on, thwarting his every attempt to save the planet Earth and the life he created. I'm certain this will all end with a, "Okay, power it up!", followed by a surprisingly brief sucking sound as the world is drawn into a black hole of its own making.
I can just see the look on his face...
Re:*sigh* (Score:4, Funny)
Actually that's not a bad idea, no problem of 'vacuum leaks' up there, and the black hole could suck up all the space junk in orbit! Great idea!
Now off to patent it... :)
Re:Vacuum Leaks... (Score:5, Funny)
Vaccuum leaks are one of those under-appreciated dangers, along with dry spills, hot freezes, and explosions of calm.
Re:*sigh* (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Great (Score:4, Funny)
It's now what, a year behind the schedule they'd set after the explosion? CERN is looking worse and worse.
Oh, come on, man, it's not CERN's fault that the anthropic principle limits us to observing universes that haven't ended our existence by creating black holes in a hadron collider!
Re:ZOMG, (Score:1, Funny)
I expect it to be turned on in 2012.
There is a 50 % chance that we'll all die (Score:2, Funny)
Re:ZOMG, (Score:3, Funny)