The
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may be feared by many to be the eventual end of the world, but if it is, the emphasis is on "eventual": it just seems to keep getting delayed or shut down. First, it was the cooling system, then there was a problem with the superconducting magnets, then a bird (possibly from the future?) caused a serious overheating problem by dropping a piece of baguette into a thermal vent.
Now comes the announcement that the LHC will shut down yet again by the end of 2011: this time, because of design and safety problems brought about by mistakes made during its construction.
Read on...
