It's the end of the world as we know it....

[FatguyRacer]

660000 RPM! Thats almost as fast as a Ferrari F1 engine. 

[KnightofNi]

It'll cover the 17 mile tunnel 11,000 times in 1 second according to the article.  That's pretty damn fast IMO

JM

no doubt, it's just not the speed of light. from what i understand, they aren't sure what will happen if they send the particles around at light speed so they are holding it back a bit (like 10kph)

660000 RPM! Thats almost as fast as a Ferrari F1 engine. 

a ferrari can almost go the speed of light?! no wonder they are so expensive!

[Jaman]

I think it's not simply a matter of "holding back"  I think that the issue is 2 part - for an object to travel the speed of light it a.) can't have mass & b.) must be in a vacuum, but it is my understanding that the vacuum part is not necessarily true, it's just that if it isn't a vacuum, then the speed of light is slower (I remember reading something about "variable speed of light theory" on Wikipedia or somewhere)

I think the LHC magnets gets the particles/beam up to 99.99999999999999% of the speed of light...

[Rameses]

...they haven't started throwing shit at each other yet.

[DucFanatic]

Here's the CERN contact point for the harbinger...

James Gillies
Tel. +41 22 76 74101
James.Gillies@cern.ch

[NAKID]

I think it's not simply a matter of "holding back"  I think that the issue is 2 part - for an object to travel the speed of light it a.) can't have mass & b.) must be in a vacuum, but it is my understanding that the vacuum part is not necessarily true, it's just that if it isn't a vacuum, then the speed of light is slower (I remember reading something about "variable speed of light theory" on Wikipedia or somewhere)

I think the LHC magnets gets the particles/beam up to 99.99999999999999% of the speed of light...

Well, according to Einstein, it is impossible for something with mass to travel the speed of light. They can go faster, or slower, but not exactly the speed of light. Also, from what I read, the LHC does operate in a vacuum...

[Randimus Maximus]

I hate BP for put that god-forsaken tune my head 

The Randimus hates teh REM band

[Jaman]

Well, according to Einstein, it is impossible for something with mass to travel the speed of light. They can go faster, or slower, but not exactly the speed of light. Also, from what I read, the LHC does operate in a vacuum...

Thanks on Einstein, I had forgotten about that!  & re: the vacuum, I figured that they had tried to create as "perfect" a vacuum as possible on earth with current tech, but still nowhere near as good as space **edit** just read up on it, and apparently there was talk that the vacuum was almost "too good" and they were joking about making some cracks, as beam-gas interactions are only possible if the vacuum ISN'T perfect...

very fascinating, but the more I try to learn, the more my head hurts...

[Grampa]

I hate BP for put that god-forsaken tune my head 

The Randimus hates teh REM band

stand in the place where you live....

[ducpainter]

I hate BP for put that god-forsaken tune my head 

The Randimus hates teh REM band

It's not that bad...

[Vindingo]

Someone else posted up this link and I found it very interesting.  Worth the 15 minute to watch the entire video.  It is pretty amazing what they are doing. 

http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/brian_cox.html

[Randimus Maximus]

It's not that bad...

ummm...yes it is.

[eyeboy]

ummm...yes it is.

i agree... but it could be so much worse...

[Grampa]

i am, i am i am, superman, and i can do anything

[Randimus Maximus]

I hereby begin my boycott of any thread BP starts or posts in!