Endless Facts, One Snippet at a Time
CERN and the Large Hadron Collider: A Modern Physics Milestone
- CERN, founded in 1954 near Geneva, is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.
- The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, spanning 17 miles underground.
- The LHC collides protons at near-light speeds to probe fundamental particles and forces.
- Its experiments confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson in 2012.
- The LHC recreates conditions similar to those just after the Big Bang.
- It uses superconducting magnets cooled to near absolute zero to guide particle beams.
- Thousands of scientists from over 100 countries collaborate on LHC experiments.
- CERN’s discoveries test and refine the Standard Model of particle physics.
- The LHC also searches for dark matter, extra dimensions, and physics beyond the Standard Model.
- CERN exemplifies international cooperation and the cutting edge of experimental physics.