Cern's New Director General: A Leap of Faith into the Unknown
Professor Mark Thomson, a renowned expert in experimental particle physics, has been appointed as the director general of Cern, the prestigious nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva. As he takes over at the helm, one can't help but wonder if he's biting off more than he can chew.
Thomson's first move will be to shut down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest scientific instrument, for a five-year upgrade period. The LHC, which has made groundbreaking discoveries including the detection of the Higgs boson, will undergo a major overhaul with new superconducting magnets and strengthened detectors. This ambitious project promises to boost the machine's capabilities tenfold.
But what about the next big question? When does one consider a scientific endeavour too expensive or ambitious? Thomson acknowledges that Cern's Future Circular Collider (FCC) project faces significant challenges, including the daunting task of building a new 91km circular tunnel at a cost of an estimated £14 billion. Can this behemoth of a machine truly unlock new secrets about the universe?
The stakes are high. The success of the FCC will determine Cern's place in the global scientific hierarchy, while its failure could lead to the lab losing its position as the world leader in particle physics. Thomson remains resolute, however, convinced that understanding the fundamental nature of the universe is worth the risk.
"We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries and the FCC is the natural progression," he says, unwavering in his resolve. The future of Cern, and indeed the entire field of particle physics, hangs in the balance. As Thomson embarks on this five-year tenure, one can't help but feel a sense of trepidation. Will he successfully lead the charge into the unknown, or will Cern's ambitions prove too much to handle?
Professor Mark Thomson, a renowned expert in experimental particle physics, has been appointed as the director general of Cern, the prestigious nuclear physics laboratory on the outskirts of Geneva. As he takes over at the helm, one can't help but wonder if he's biting off more than he can chew.
Thomson's first move will be to shut down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest scientific instrument, for a five-year upgrade period. The LHC, which has made groundbreaking discoveries including the detection of the Higgs boson, will undergo a major overhaul with new superconducting magnets and strengthened detectors. This ambitious project promises to boost the machine's capabilities tenfold.
But what about the next big question? When does one consider a scientific endeavour too expensive or ambitious? Thomson acknowledges that Cern's Future Circular Collider (FCC) project faces significant challenges, including the daunting task of building a new 91km circular tunnel at a cost of an estimated £14 billion. Can this behemoth of a machine truly unlock new secrets about the universe?
The stakes are high. The success of the FCC will determine Cern's place in the global scientific hierarchy, while its failure could lead to the lab losing its position as the world leader in particle physics. Thomson remains resolute, however, convinced that understanding the fundamental nature of the universe is worth the risk.
"We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries and the FCC is the natural progression," he says, unwavering in his resolve. The future of Cern, and indeed the entire field of particle physics, hangs in the balance. As Thomson embarks on this five-year tenure, one can't help but feel a sense of trepidation. Will he successfully lead the charge into the unknown, or will Cern's ambitions prove too much to handle?
I was thinking about what I'm gonna get for my birthday next month 
, and I just realized I need to start planning ahead... like, how am I even gonna afford all those presents 
. Anyway, speaking of big plans, have you guys seen that video of the new drone racing tournament? It's insane! The pilots can do like, 100 turns in a row without crashing 
. I wonder if they use some kind of advanced AI to help them navigate... and what would it be like to try that out with a GoPro attached to your helmet? 
. Thomson seems like the kind of guy who'll make you want to join him on this wild ride, though. "We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries" – sounds like he's trying to get out of paying his student loans early 
. But for real, can we please just hope they don't find any evidence of alien life and instead just discover a giant chicken nugget that's been sitting there since the 70s? That'd be some next-level science 
.
. Are they trying to make up for lost time or just plain crazy 
? Either way, it's gonna be fascinating to watch how this all plays out 
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What's with the FCC project, 14 billion pounds is crazy even for a scientific endeavor that could potentially change our understanding of the universe. Are they kidding me? 
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. Shouldn't we be having a national conversation about the value of investing in cutting-edge tech like the LHC and FCC? Instead, it feels like Cern is getting a free pass 
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. And what about accountability? Who's going to hold him and Cern accountable if things go wrong? 
.