Professor Mark Thomson, a renowned particle physicist at Cambridge University, has taken the helm as director general of CERN, the prestigious nuclear physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland. But some may wonder if he's taking one for the team by shutting down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most complex scientific instrument, just days into his tenure.
The LHC is a behemoth of science, recreating the conditions that existed microseconds after the Big Bang, and its discovery of the Higgs boson has earned CERN numerous Nobel Prizes. Yet, one of Thomson's first acts as director general will be to turn off the machine for engineering work, with the shutdown lasting until his five-year term is almost over.
Thomson, a Cambridge graduate who got hooked on physics after reading about science at Cern in his teens, is unfazed by the shutdown. "The machine is running brilliantly and we're recording huge amounts of data," he says. "There's plenty to analyze over the next few years." He's clearly excited about the prospects for new discoveries with the LHC, which will be upgraded to produce ten times more collisions.
However, the real challenge lies ahead – the Future Circular Collider (FCC), a colossal machine that could dwarf the LHC in size and ambition. If built, it would require a massive 91km tunnel and cost an estimated £14 billion. The project is shrouded in controversy, with questions over whether it's worth the investment to tackle some of physics' most enduring mysteries, such as dark matter and dark energy.
Thomson acknowledges that the FCC faces wider challenges, including funding and debate among member states about its merits. "We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries," he insists. "Our goal is to understand the universe at its most fundamental level." Whether CERN will maintain its status as a global leader in particle physics remains uncertain, with other countries like the US and China vying for their own advanced collider projects.
As Thomson embarks on his five-year tenure, one thing is clear – the future of human understanding hangs in the balance. Will he be able to unlock the secrets of the universe, or will the pursuit of scientific knowledge prove elusive? Only time will tell if Thomson's leadership and vision can guide CERN through this pivotal moment.
The LHC is a behemoth of science, recreating the conditions that existed microseconds after the Big Bang, and its discovery of the Higgs boson has earned CERN numerous Nobel Prizes. Yet, one of Thomson's first acts as director general will be to turn off the machine for engineering work, with the shutdown lasting until his five-year term is almost over.
Thomson, a Cambridge graduate who got hooked on physics after reading about science at Cern in his teens, is unfazed by the shutdown. "The machine is running brilliantly and we're recording huge amounts of data," he says. "There's plenty to analyze over the next few years." He's clearly excited about the prospects for new discoveries with the LHC, which will be upgraded to produce ten times more collisions.
However, the real challenge lies ahead – the Future Circular Collider (FCC), a colossal machine that could dwarf the LHC in size and ambition. If built, it would require a massive 91km tunnel and cost an estimated £14 billion. The project is shrouded in controversy, with questions over whether it's worth the investment to tackle some of physics' most enduring mysteries, such as dark matter and dark energy.
Thomson acknowledges that the FCC faces wider challenges, including funding and debate among member states about its merits. "We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries," he insists. "Our goal is to understand the universe at its most fundamental level." Whether CERN will maintain its status as a global leader in particle physics remains uncertain, with other countries like the US and China vying for their own advanced collider projects.
As Thomson embarks on his five-year tenure, one thing is clear – the future of human understanding hangs in the balance. Will he be able to unlock the secrets of the universe, or will the pursuit of scientific knowledge prove elusive? Only time will tell if Thomson's leadership and vision can guide CERN through this pivotal moment.
This new direction for Cern is gonna impact so many lives - scientists, engineers, researchers, and even students who wanna get into physics one day! I'm hoping the future circular collider (FCC) will open doors to so many mysteries we can't even imagine yet 
. It's crazy that a new director general comes in just days after shutting down the LHC... like he knew what was up 
. Whatever happens, it's exciting to see Cern pushing boundaries & making huge leaps in science! 
they just started like, yesterday lol. its a huge machine & they're basically shutting it down for 5 years now... i mean, whats next? 
gonna break all the equipment & stuff? 
i think professor mark thomson is being a bit too optimistic about this whole thing. what if he doesn't deliver on his promises? 
cern needs to be more transparent about their plans & goals. transparency is key in scifi, imo 
. And let's be real, who needs that kind of pressure to perform? It's better to take a step back, do some maintenance, and come back swinging. I'm all for pushing the boundaries of science, but not at the expense of sanity 
. The FCC project is definitely ambitious, but it's also got a lot of potential for overhyped drama 
. Let's focus on making progress, not just making headlines 
, we saw some seriously crazy geysers and hot springs! I mean, have you ever seen Old Faithful erupt? It's like a giant, steamy explosion in the middle of nowhere 
. Anyway, back to this CERN thing... I'm not really sure what's going on with the LHC shutdown, but it sounds like Professor Thomson is trying to do some major upgrades and make it more efficient 
. I'm just hoping he doesn't get too caught up in all the politics and loses sight of what's really important – making new discoveries about the universe 
!
? And what's up with all these new projects anyway? I'm not sure if I'm excited or terrified 
... and have you seen those numbers they're throwing around for the FCC? £14 billion is like, a small country 
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I KNOW HE SAYS THERE'S PLENTY OF DATA TO ANALYZE BUT COME ON, IT'S LIKE THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE TOOL GETS TAKEN AWAY FOR ENGINEERING WORK. THAT'S, LIKE, A BIG DEAL!!! 
I MEAN, £14 BILLION IS A LOT OF CASH!!! 