I'm watching a live broadcast of the Large Hadron Collider

[Solly Mack]

First Beam@RTÉ.ie

In French and English.

It's almost time for the first beam
...if anyone is interested.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Thank you! n/t

[Solly Mack]

2. It's very exciting

:hi:

[ColbertWatcher]

3. it looks like their showing a movie. n/t

[Solly Mack]

7. they have been showing a short flick on how it works

it began with explaining the process and what they hope to accomplish...and now they are showing the control room in actual time

[ColbertWatcher]

26. Yeah, then my network went kaput, unless ...

... it destroyed the webcams!

[Solly Mack]

34. I'm sure youtube will survive and it'll be uploaded :)

[TaffyMoon]

4. I think this is fabulous!

Exciting, wonderful and cool!

[Solly Mack]

35. It's pretty damn amazing

and what we could learn...just WOW

[UndertheOcean]

5. Why nothing on CNN ?

[ColbertWatcher]

6. On CNN!? Real science!? Shirley, you jest! n/t

[Solly Mack]

8. CNNi is mentioning it every few minutes

but no real coverage

oops....CNNI is now covering it

[Solly Mack]

9. The moment is upon us

too cool!

[kurth_]

10. Are we still here?

[Solly Mack]

11. No....but don't tell anyone

[Solly Mack]

12. We have beam!

[magellan]

13. Flash!

:woohoo:

[Solly Mack]

14. I was clapping

[magellan]

16. Removing the block

Correction, going for half circle....I'm just typing what I hear....

[Solly Mack]

15. Now for stage 2

from point 2 to point 3 and stopped at point 3...will remove blocks/adjust beam and send beam on to point 5

[WCGreen]

17. So are we all going to die?

Or are the secrets of the universe about to be revealed ...

[Solly Mack]

18. It's already moving....and I'm next door to it...and I'm still here

I'm in Germany

[WCGreen]

21. Hell, I'm going to bed then...

It's 3:45 in the AM here in Cleveland, Ohio...

I was listening to the BBC's reporting on Public RAdio here.

No mention on the commercial channels what so ever.

Not sexy enough, I suppose...

[Solly Mack]

28. The beam is only up to point 5...constant adjusting

they have been stopping it along the points to adjust

Sweet dreams :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. They've reached half way by now

Doing it in octants, the BBC said - an eighth of the circle.

[Solly Mack]

41. Yes...isn't it too cool!!!

[magellan]

19. This is just a test of the full clockwise beam

They're making sure they can get it all the way around the circle a little at a time. Testing, adjusting. Won't have collision of two beams, clockwise and anti-clockwise, for a few weeks.

[Solly Mack]

24. Yep...sometime in October, If I recall correctly

[ColbertWatcher]

30. Will you be in Germany when they do it? n/t

[Solly Mack]

33. when they collide? Yes

[ColbertWatcher]

69. That would be awesome if you could give another heads-up! With webcam links, too! n/t

[Solly Mack]

76. I'll try.

Not sure what my schedule is that far out yet.

[dkf]

20. So is it like once they test it and we survive we are ok?

Or is it that the black hole thing can happen at any time in the future too?

[WCGreen]

23. Pretty much anytime...

Just read a few issues of Fantastic Four and realize how helpless we are against technology and man's innate drive to discover as much of the unknown as possible.

[backscatter712]

27. First beam's relatively low power, right?

The first beam's just used for testing and calibration, and it takes a few months of gradually increasing the power level before we get cool things like black holes...

[dkf]

47. Cool things like black holes huh? That's just great...

My brother thinks it would be cool too. He also loves when hurricanes come his way.

[Solly Mack]

31. I believe it's only teeny-tiny black-holes and those occur all the time

in our known universe and just poof out, posing no threat....much like what will happen with this.

[enigmatic]

22. I was watching it on BBC

Pretty cool...

[Solly Mack]

29. It is cool

I'm loving it

[opihimoimoi]

25. K&R thanks for the link

:toast:

[Solly Mack]

32. You're welcome, opihimoimoi!!!

Beam tracking is fun!

[Solly Mack]

36. The first beam has been dumped at point 6

will be injecting again...to try and attempt a full revolution in one go

[Solly Mack]

37. Point 2 to point 7 in one go

[Solly Mack]

38. the goal is to get to point 8...adjusting along the way

for a full revolution...

[Solly Mack]

40. They are now doing a replay of footage explaining how it works

and now going back to control center

[Solly Mack]

42. They've got better beamage....to point 7

they are sending better quality beams around...

[Solly Mack]

43. got to point 8

2 more sectors...the next point and then back to where it started

[Solly Mack]

45. Point 8 to Point 1 now

[Solly Mack]

44. "Masters of the Beam"

I like that

trying to "perfect" the beam...which they are doing...controlling it...achieving a better quality beam

[Esra Star]

46. We have the beam to position 8 nt

[Solly Mack]

48. gonna "liberate" the beam from point 1 to point 2

by liberate they mean to allow the beam to continue

[Solly Mack]

49. We have a full revolution!!!!

[Solly Mack]

50. Beam to do full revolution in one go (try)

[athiest4ev]

51. Has the black hole formed yet?

*lol*

Scary, but I heard from the experts that it's safe.

[Solly Mack]

52. Well, the data isn't in yet....but I'll go out on a limb and say No

:)

[lapfog_1]

55. no collisions. Need two beams counter rotating with collisions to form black holes.

[Solly Mack]

56. Yes, I know

I was making a joke...

[lapfog_1]

57. Yeah, I figured that. I was adding commentary for those who don't get the joke.

And, probably, many won't get the reference in my post about using WWW to watch this.

(hint for folks: google - oh the sweet irony continues - google Tim Berners-Lee)

[Solly Mack]

58. You gave the answer lololol

No need to google now

[lapfog_1]

62. Well, here is a fair explanation... (but it is wiki so you never know)

Black hole production
Related terms:
Safety of particle collisions

In the future, the possibility of black hole production at the highest energy accelerators may arise, if certain predictions of superstring theory are accurate.<5><6> These concerns have been particularly acute recently in connection with the LHC, which will begin operation in 2008. If they are produced, it is thought that black holes would evaporate extremely quickly via Bekenstein-Hawking radiation. However, the existence of the Bekenstein-Hawking radiation is controversial.<7> It is also thought that an analogy between colliders and cosmic rays demonstrates collider safety. If colliders can produce black holes, cosmic rays (and particularly ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, UHECRs) should have been producing them for eons, and they have yet to harm us.<8> However, to conserve energy and momentum, any black holes created in a collision between an UHECR and local matter would itself necessarily be produced moving at relativistic speed with respect to the Earth, and should therefore immediately escape into space, as its accretion and growth rate should be very slow. BHs produced in colliders (with components of equal mass) would have some chance of having a velocity less than Earth escape velocity, 11.2 km per sec, and would be liable to capture and subsequent growth. However, if stable micro black holes are produced, they will grow far too slowly to cause any noticeable macroscopic effects within the natural lifetime of the solar system.<9>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_accelerator

[lapfog_1]

53. How appropriate to watch CERN's new physics experiment via the World Wide Web. - n/t

[Solly Mack]

54. It is indeed!

Wasn't lost on my either

[Solly Mack]

59. Interviewing various people working on the project

I hope people are tuning in...

[Solly Mack]

60. I can't wait for the collision. I was born way too soon.

[lapfog_1]

61. This could have been the United States some 12 years ago.

And all for the cost of about 1 month in Iraq (even at the huge cost overrun price).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_Super_Collider

[Solly Mack]

63. They're discussing America's contribution now

and how America scrapped their project (Texas) and later joined in with CERN

[lapfog_1]

66. Yeah, $500M... not chicken feed, but not a leadership role either.

And there is something about a joint conference with Fermi Labs later today.

But this is basic physics stuff, real hard core science. And we aren't the leaders in this anymore. We'd rather waste billions (or trillions) on useless wars for oil and bailing out "investors" in bubble real estate markets.

And, as a more or less direct result, we have Global Warming Deniers proudly running for Vice President, and people who can't spell Maverick (Mavrick) or Moron (Moran). Not to mention the creationists and the "earth is 6,000 years old" crowd. It's almost like we started getting "stupid drugs" in our drinking water sometime around 1970.

[nadinbrzezinski]

67. You know one reason we led in physics though

(and still do in some respects)

Military apps...

But this is the basic kind of stuff that is needed for more than just that

[lapfog_1]

73. Our German scientists were better than the Soviet's German scientists.

In a lot of basic physics areas.

But that era is over. Also, along with the "space race" there was "technology race" as well (and yes, much of the research was funded out of military or "defense" budgets).

The very media we are using right this minute was invented due to these defense research projects. But somewhere along about the time of Reagan/Bush I, the defense budgets quit funding basic research and only funded applied research for the creation of weapon systems.

[knitter4democracy]

100. Not in that area of physics, though.

At least there wasn't at Michigan State where my dad worked. Dr. Henry Blosser started their cyclotron lab, and he ended up using a good bit of the research for a cancer treating cyclotron.

[Solly Mack]

68. he was politely saying as much (what you said)

[lapfog_1]

71. Not surprised but I wasn't really listening completely either.

The journalists that they have covering this are ALMOST as bad (but not quite) as our journalists that cover "skiance thingys".

One of them just postulated that the magnets used to control the beam "get as hot as the sun" which is why they need to be so cold. Sigh.

[Solly Mack]

72. Yeah..I heard that. lol

[ClayZ]

64. Thank You! K and R

[Solly Mack]

65. Hi, ClayZ!!

You're welcome!!

I'm learning so much and understanding it all so much better.

And...it's fun! exciting! and just plain Cool!

[Solly Mack]

70. Info

LHC - THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER

[Buns_of_Fire]

82. Oh, I see now. They were "building the beam" CLOCKWISE!!!

Well, THAT explains it!















:shrug:




(Seriously: Fascinating stuff. Thank you.:thumbsup: )

[Solly Mack]

74. Now talking with the Fermilab (Chicago)

Fermilab

[Solly Mack]

75. America acknowledging its contribution to the project

[Solly Mack]

77. Plans for a 2nd beam later today

Still watching. Listening to the various interviews.

By 2nd beam I just mean a single beam....but the 2nd beam injected today

[NashVegas]

78. In Honor of the Event, May I Recommend "Protons, Neutrons, Electrons?"

from the Cat Empire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok8pb_-GGkU

[Solly Mack]

79. Thanks!!!

Neat!

[dweller]

114. thanks for that

i have watched that about 25 times today, very fun and keeps my spirit up.

dp

[NashVegas]

115. That's So Nice to Hear

I love the band & the song, and got a real kick to see what that song inspired someone to do. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[Solly Mack]

80. the 2nd beam injected at point 8 and has stopped at point 6

slight problem...waiting

first beam went clockwise and injected at point 2...2nd beam is going counter-clockwise and injected at point 8...currently stopped at point 6

only a single beam is being injected at a time

[Solly Mack]

81. Yes!!! Correction applied...beam to point 5

problems in sector 6....some oscillation with the beam....being corrected...beam did move on to point 5 and I think it's been dumped again

[Solly Mack]

83. to point 4

[Solly Mack]

84. now to point 3

[Solly Mack]

86. point 2

[Solly Mack]

92. Point 1

one more sector and it will be a full revolution going counter-clockwise

[Blue_Tires]

85. thanks for the link

[Solly Mack]

89. you're welcome

[City Lights]

87. Thanks for the link! nt

[Solly Mack]

90. You're welcome!

[Solly Mack]

88. Alternative link...just in case

En direct TF1.fr

It's in english

the other link broke up on me a few times

[Cerridwen]

91. Dayum, Solly. Thanks for this.

Too exciting and I've got your blow by blow - or perhaps I should say, beam by beam to get me up to speed ;)

[Solly Mack]

93. LOL! You're welcome, Cerridwen!

I'm on my 6th hour. I'm loving it.

Gives me hope...

[Cerridwen]

96. As I sit and watch this, I have memories of watching the moon walk

at my uncle's house. All of us gathered around the TV.

Now I watch this from my laptop chatting with people from around the planet.

Woo hoo! Full circle. The beam, I mean.

Wow, it's Christmas morning and I got the bike I wanted. That's the only way I know how to explain it.

[Solly Mack]

97. I think you explained it well.

:)

[Solly Mack]

94. drumroll......2nd (single) beam, going counter-clockwise, completes full circuit

[Solly Mack]

95. Taking a break before more tests

even considering a collision at a lower speed in the next few days

they want to increase the speed of the beam....see how the beam travels then....refining as they go

[Solly Mack]

98. I'm just thrilled

I've got the hots for the Masters of the Beam

Science is sexy.

[Cerridwen]

99. I gotta tell ya, the press conference is informative and interesting, too.

It's great to hear the history of the project, how the countries came together, and the cross-science discoveries and influences and now he's describing its importance.

I am so happy you provided this link, Solly.

:yourock:

edit to add: fascinating, that was the adjective my caffeine starved brain couldn't get. I can watch the press conference or type, apparently not both at the same time. LOL

[Solly Mack]

101. I'm enjoying it tremendously

Getting my learn on

Thanks, Cerridwen!! I think you rock too!!!! :)

[SidDithers]

102. Very cool. Thanks for all the updates, Solly.

Can't wait to see what happens when they start colliding beams. Takes me back to elementary particles PHY357 20 years ago.

Oh, and Google is in the spirit too.


Sid

[Solly Mack]

104. You're welcome, SidDithers

I'm still watching....mostly interviews and questions at this point...still very, very cool!

[Cerridwen]

103. They just showed one of the oxford blue magnets.

:D

[Solly Mack]

105. I thought sexy science dude said Oslo blue

I need my hearing checked. Everything is falling apart since hitting 40.

[Cerridwen]

108. Ah, hell. Maybe *I* heard it wrong.

:D

Some great information during several of the interviews, too.

This was great! Can't wait for the next broadcast. I think I heard thousands of circuits of the ring? Yay! I wanna watch!

[Solly Mack]

113. I know! I can't wait either.

I believe that is what they said.(thousands of circuits )

[Cerridwen]

117. Thanks. I need a "hearing" check.

:D

I spent most the day reading about what they're doing there and the technologies they've already developed. I'm like a kid in a candy shop. :)

[Solly Mack]

106. Call it a day. Over for now

Thanks everyone!!!

[NeedleCast]

107. Damn, I can't work with all this cool stuff going on!

Need to go home, read geeky science stuff!

[Solly Mack]

109. lol! It's over the today...well, the live coverage is anyway

They'll be running tests over the next few days according to one Master of the Beam.

[NeedleCast]

110. I'll still have to wait to get home

to watch the videos and read up on the daily happ'nins.

[Solly Mack]

111. in post #88 there's a link that has videos from today - ready for viewing

Enjoy!!! (When you get home)

[Solly Mack]

112. Some photos

Slideshow: Cern’s Large Hadron Collider goes live

[entanglement]

116. Thanks a lot - Just what I needed