Cern's New Boss Has a Questionable Priority: Shutting Down the World's Most Powerful Particle Smasher
When Mark Thomson takes over as Cern's director general in January, he'll inherit one of the most coveted jobs in global science. The professor of experimental particle physics at Cambridge University has been appointed to lead the multi-Nobel-prizewinning nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva.
However, it's unclear whether his priorities align with those of his predecessors. As soon as Thomson steps into his new role, he'll be faced with a contentious decision: turn off the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle smasher, for an ambitious engineering project that could transform its capabilities.
Despite the LHC running at peak performance and producing "huge amounts of data," Thomson is enthusiastic about shutting it down. "The machine is running brilliantly, and we're recording huge amounts of data," he says. This shutdown will pave the way for a high-luminosity upgrade, expected to boost the collider's energy output tenfold.
While the new LHC upgrade holds great promise, some question whether Thomson's first priority should be his own legacy rather than advancing science. The future of Cern is uncertain, with questions about its relevance and whether it will remain the world leader in particle physics.
The LHC's eventual replacement, the Future Circular Collider (FCC), promises even greater advancements but comes with significant costs. Estimates suggest it could cost over $15 billion to build, a daunting expense for an international collaboration.
Critics argue that Thomson is embarking on a journey that may not deliver groundbreaking discoveries. Instead of pursuing a new generation of particle accelerators, the scientific community should focus on addressing long-standing mysteries in physics, such as dark matter and dark energy.
Thomson's enthusiasm for pushing forward with Cern's future projects raises questions about the true priorities of his tenure. As he navigates this uncertain landscape, it remains to be seen whether he'll successfully balance ambition with pragmatism or prioritize politics over progress.
With the fate of Cern hanging in the balance, Thomson must confront a daunting challenge: balancing innovation with uncertainty and ensuring that the world's premier particle physics laboratory continues to push the boundaries of human knowledge.
When Mark Thomson takes over as Cern's director general in January, he'll inherit one of the most coveted jobs in global science. The professor of experimental particle physics at Cambridge University has been appointed to lead the multi-Nobel-prizewinning nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva.
However, it's unclear whether his priorities align with those of his predecessors. As soon as Thomson steps into his new role, he'll be faced with a contentious decision: turn off the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle smasher, for an ambitious engineering project that could transform its capabilities.
Despite the LHC running at peak performance and producing "huge amounts of data," Thomson is enthusiastic about shutting it down. "The machine is running brilliantly, and we're recording huge amounts of data," he says. This shutdown will pave the way for a high-luminosity upgrade, expected to boost the collider's energy output tenfold.
While the new LHC upgrade holds great promise, some question whether Thomson's first priority should be his own legacy rather than advancing science. The future of Cern is uncertain, with questions about its relevance and whether it will remain the world leader in particle physics.
The LHC's eventual replacement, the Future Circular Collider (FCC), promises even greater advancements but comes with significant costs. Estimates suggest it could cost over $15 billion to build, a daunting expense for an international collaboration.
Critics argue that Thomson is embarking on a journey that may not deliver groundbreaking discoveries. Instead of pursuing a new generation of particle accelerators, the scientific community should focus on addressing long-standing mysteries in physics, such as dark matter and dark energy.
Thomson's enthusiasm for pushing forward with Cern's future projects raises questions about the true priorities of his tenure. As he navigates this uncertain landscape, it remains to be seen whether he'll successfully balance ambition with pragmatism or prioritize politics over progress.
With the fate of Cern hanging in the balance, Thomson must confront a daunting challenge: balancing innovation with uncertainty and ensuring that the world's premier particle physics laboratory continues to push the boundaries of human knowledge.
by this news! Shutting down the LHC for an upgrade? It seems like such a huge risk, you know? They're basically putting all their eggs in one basket with the FCC upgrade, and if it doesn't pan out, what then? 
Back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy upgrades and whatnot, but we still managed to make some amazing discoveries. It's like they're trying to reinvent the wheel 
instead of building on what's already worked.
I mean, I know Cern is a world-renowned lab and all, but come on, can't they just prioritize their research and focus on making progress rather than playing with fancy new machines? 
It's like Mark Thomson is more worried about leaving his mark (no pun intended) than actually advancing science. 
. I get that science is all about progress and innovation, but come on! This thing is like a giant toy that's been running for years without any issues 
.
. Dark matter, dark energy – those are some weird stuff that scientists haven't figured out yet 
. Can't they just keep running with what we know for now? 
but seriously, ppl r worried bout his priorities he sounds like he care more about gettin recognition n stuff 
than actual sci progress. cern's future is super uncertain rn & i dunno if this upgrade will even make a diff 
like wut r we doin? 
the estimated cost 4 th FCC is crazy tho $15billion lol idk how they expect it 2 pay 4 it 
. It's just too much money for a potentially incremental improvement 
. What about exploring more pressing mysteries in physics, like dark matter and dark energy? Those are the real priorities, not some new fancy collider 
. And what about all the other research that gets cut when resources are shifted to Cern? I'm worried we're putting too much faith in one project 
.
? i think we need to focus on solving real problems in physics, like dark matter and dark energy, not just chasing after fancy upgrades 
. mark thomson should prioritize science over politics and legacy, and make sure cern is still pushing the boundaries of human knowledge in 2025 and beyond 
that serves the best falafel and shawarma in town, it's this tiny little place near my place that you have to know about if you love street food. I mean, have you ever had a proper pita filled with crispy falafel, juicy lamb, and creamy tzatziki? 
It's life-changing! Anyway, back to Cern... what's up with these giant particle smashers, can someone explain it to me like I'm 5? 
but on the other hand, $15 billion is a lot of cash... 
maybe we need to focus on those instead? 
.
. the scientific community is already buzzing about this, so fingers crossed that he'll make the right call 
. Fingers crossed for 'em!
i mean, yeah shutting down the lhc for a upgrade might be important but let's not forget we still dont know much about dark matter & dark energy. those are the things that need attention imo 
No way, dude! We need to keep pushing the boundaries of science, not holding back because of a few billion dollars. Dark matter, dark energy, these are the mysteries that'll get us ahead in physics, not some overpriced FFC project 
. What do u think, guys? Should we be concerned about Thomson's priorities?