tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10778204.post111893990768661231..comments2024-02-14T02:54:50.486-06:00Comments on The Atom Smashers: Tango, anyone?Claytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042966745016716685noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10778204.post-39544557935901131912009-05-22T12:48:14.673-05:002009-05-22T12:48:14.673-05:00i love the fact that a four year old already under...i love the fact that a four year old already understands that people @ fermilab are the type that want to immediately check out & play with toys.nanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12243234693067279010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10778204.post-1119536897148086092005-06-23T09:28:00.000-05:002005-06-23T09:28:00.000-05:00Actually, Ben did say that on camera. And I think...Actually, Ben did say that on camera. And I think you're right, an overview of the supercollider would be a good idea. Thanks. And yes, I decided not to mention anything about flying body parts.<BR/><BR/>cbClaytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08042966745016716685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10778204.post-1119366176067740842005-06-21T10:02:00.000-05:002005-06-21T10:02:00.000-05:00Thanks for the positive feedback! It is exciting....Thanks for the positive feedback! It is exciting. It's a little daunting, too. Things are moving quickly. I agree --- hasn't everyone heard of a supercollider? If they don't know what the heck you're talking about, try this analogy: an alien scientist with a high-powered telescope is on the moon, watching the earth. He's focusing on the interstate highways. He wants to know what's inside these little things he sees whizzing around the freeways at 75 miles per hour. He doesn't know what they are, but he's figured out a way to control them. So he directs two of them to head down I-90 on a collision course at top speed. When they crash, he snaps a picture through his telescope. Oh, an orange fireball? Must be gasoline. Strange black cloud --- looks like rubber burning. Different black cloud --- plastic melting. Shiny stuff --- glass. Sparks --- metal must be crashing together. So he gets a pretty decent idea of what they are from watching them explode.<BR/><BR/>That's kind of how the atom smasher works, in a nutshell.<BR/><BR/>As a side note, I asked Ben Kilminster, one of the young physicists we've been interviewing to use this analogy. He said that's right, and what they're doing in the search for the higgs boson is looking at millions and millions of car crashes and hoping to see just one elephant come bouncing out.Claytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08042966745016716685noreply@blogger.com