The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off

Mark Thomson, a leading expert in particle physics, has just been appointed as the director general of CERN, the world-renowned nuclear physics laboratory that houses the massive Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC, which accelerates protons to nearly light speed and recreates conditions that existed microseconds after the Big Bang, has made several groundbreaking discoveries, including the detection of the Higgs boson. However, Thomson's first act as director general will be to turn off the machine for five years to allow for much-needed engineering work.

The high-luminosity LHC upgrade, which is currently under way, aims to increase the number of collisions by tenfold and make more precise measurements of particles and their interactions. While this project holds great promise for scientists, it also raises questions about CERN's future plans. The LHC is expected to reach the end of its life around 2041, and the organization must decide whether to replace it with a new machine called the Future Circular Collider (FCC).

The FCC would be significantly larger than the LHC, requiring a new 91km circular tunnel to be built. While this project has significant engineering ambitions, it also poses wider challenges, including funding and debate over its scientific merits. With no guarantee that the FCC will answer any big questions in physics, Thomson's role will be more complex.

Thomson's appointment as director general comes at a time when CERN is under scrutiny from other countries, such as the US and China, which are also investing heavily in advanced colliders. While CERN remains the world leader in particle physics, its preeminence is not guaranteed unless it can deliver significant breakthroughs.

Despite these challenges, Thomson remains optimistic about CERN's future. "We've not got to the point where we have stopped making discoveries," he says. "Our goal is to understand the universe at its most fundamental level." The next five years will be crucial for CERN and Thomson, as he navigates the complexities of scientific research, engineering, and international politics to secure CERN's place in the world of physics.

so yeah i think cern is just gonna have to innovate like a startup or something... they can't keep relying on the same old lhc machine forever lol what if they focus more on machine learning & AI to optimize their research instead of just building bigger & better colliders? that way they can stay ahead of the game without breaking the bank and maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to answer some of those big questions in physics after all

you know what's wild? i was just thinking about this last weekend and my friend told me that his cousin is a chef at this fancy restaurant near cern and they get free food when he works late nights on saturdays . anyway , cern sounds like it needs some serious snacks to keep those physicists fueled up for all that massive machine tinkering

5-year LHC shutdown = 10x more collisions, but also means no new Higgs boson discoveries for 5 yrs 1.2 million particles collided per second (LHC), 120k/sec (FCC) CERN's budget is expected to be $14.8B by 2026 50% of that comes from EU funding 2041 LHC expected end-of-life, but what if we find a way to extend its life? Future Circular Collider (FCC) would cost ~$100B China's and US's colliders are gaining speed! CERN has 17 years to deliver new discoveries or risk being surpassed by other countries

Ugh, a 5-year hiatus on the LHC?! That's a whole lotta time, fam . I get that engineering work needs to be done, but can't they just do it during one of the machine's downtime periods? Or even better, make the upgrades in phases so scientists still have some data to work with? It feels like CERN is setting itself up for a major letdown . And don't even get me started on this FCC business - what's the point of building an even bigger machine if it's just gonna be a waste of resources . I mean, I trust Mark Thomson and all, but I'm not convinced he can navigate these complex waters without getting us all lost in space

OMG, have you guys ever noticed how much coffee you need to function while trying to understand particle physics? like, i mean, i love science and all but sometimes it feels like the more complex something is, the more lost i get ... anyway, back to cern - what's up with these colliders tho? it seems like they're always breaking down or needing some major overhaul... does anyone know if there's a good coffee shop near the lhc? also, did you see that new star trek movie?

What a big decision for Mark Thomson to make... turning off the LHC for 5 whole years is crazy! I mean, on one hand, it's needed engineering work that can't be rushed, but on the other hand, you're basically shutting down the machine when it's still got so much left to give. And then there's this new FCC project... it's a big undertaking, no doubt about it , but what if it never lives up to its promises? It's like playing with fire, balancing scientific progress with the risk of failure. Can't wait to see how Thomson handles these challenges .

omg I just got my new gaming laptop and it has like 8 cores I'm so excited to play all these games but anyway... back to this thing about CERN Mark Thomson is pretty cool, right? I heard he's gonna turn off the LHC for five years which is kinda crazy thinking about what they'll discover next like maybe a new particle or something? and btw has anyone else seen that new video of a cat playing piano it's so adorbs!!!

I'm thinkin' somethin' fishy is goin' on here... I mean, Mark Thomson gettin' appointed director general just so he can shut down the LHC for five years? That's like a big fat cover-up! What's really goin' on? Are they hidin' some major discovery or somethin'? And what's with this new FCC thingy? It sounds like a waste of resources to me. They're just gonna build another machine and spend all that cash, but are we gonna get any answers? I don't think so...

I don't think CERN should be relying on a massive new collider just because they're not getting results from the LHC. I mean, have they thought about just upgrading what they've got instead? It's 5 years to fix some engineering stuff, that's a decent chunk of time for them to figure out how to make the most of the current setup

And yeah, I get that it sounds like Thomson is being cautious, but if CERN really wants to be in charge of physics research, they need to show they can deliver results. Right now, they're playing catch-up with other countries who are investing big bucks in their own colliders. And what's the point of having a new collider if we can't even agree on how to use it?

Ugh, can't believe what's happening at CERN !! Just when we thought they were on the cusp of some huge discovery, Mark Thomson comes along and tells them to shut down the LHC for FIVE YEARS ?! I mean, I know engineering is important and all that, but come on! What about the research? The scientists? The momentum?! It's like they're putting the brakes on progress just when we need it most

And don't even get me started on the FCC . Larger tunnel, bigger costs, what's the point of that?! We should be pushing the boundaries of physics, not building a bigger playground for scientists to argue about . And another thing, why do they have to make it so complicated? Can't we just get some answers already?! The universe is full of mysteries, can't we at least try to solve them instead of just debating about them forever

I'm all for innovation and progress, but this feels like a step backwards . We need Mark Thomson to be optimistic about the future, not apologetic for the work they're doing . The world is waiting for answers, CERN

I think it's cool that Mark Thomson is leading CERN now . He must have done something right to get this role . The idea of turning off the LHC for 5 years seems a bit weird though ... but maybe it's necessary? It's going to be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out . I hope CERN can stay on top of its game and keep making those groundbreaking discoveries ! The future Circular Collider project sounds like a big undertaking, but if they can make it happen, it could be huge . Fingers crossed for Thomson and the team ... time will tell what's next

so Mark Thomson gets the job ! 5 year shutdown is a bummer tho... i feel like it's gonna be a big deal for scientists who've invested so much time & effort into the high-luminosity LHC upgrade but on the bright side, it gives them time to figure out the Future Circular Collider (FCC) issue and make sure it's worth the massive investment . CERN is still a leader in particle physics, but with other countries like US & China investing big in colliders, they gotta deliver some major breakthroughs ASAP ! Thomson's optimism is infectious tho

5-year shutdown = big risk? Still think CERN can hit a home run with FCC?

Just heard about Mark Thomson being appointed director general of CERN... big problem is LHC gonna shut down for 5 years who knows what they'll find after that? not sure if they can even fix the machine before it breaks down anyway meanwhile, China and US are already making progress on their colliders... wonder how long CERN's been holding out FCC project is just a pipe dream at this point

just another big change comin thru cern, first they shut down lhc, now they need to figure out if they build fcc, sounds like a lot of uncertainty how can one machine be so critical? what's the point of all this? is it even worth the cost?

omg what's happening with cern they're turning off the lhc for 5 years? like what's going on and now there's this huge debate about replacing it with the FCC which would be so cool but also super expensive i mean, scientists are always talking about understanding the universe at its most fundamental level but how do you actually do that? and what if cern can't keep up with other countries like us and china? they're already investing a lot in advanced colliders anyway, mark thomson seems optimistic which is good because he'll need to be when the stakes are this high

I'm kinda worried about what this means for CERN's future ... I mean, turning off the LHC for 5 years might seem like a no-brainer for some engineering work, but it's also like they're putting all their eggs in one basket, you know? Like, if the FCC project falls through, who's gonna be left holding the bag? And what about those other countries like the US and China, which are throwing billions into their own collider projects? It feels like CERN is caught between a rock and a hard place... Not to mention, the LHC is getting up there in age (it's been running since 2008!), so you've got to wonder if it's already past its prime. Still, I guess that's what makes this guy Mark Thomson so interesting - he's all about pushing boundaries and making science happen ...

just heard that mark thomson is turning off the lhc for 5 years lol what a waste like who needs big bang recreation when you got engineering work to do? meanwhile, cern is still debating whether to replace it with an even bigger machine and now there's scrutiny from other countries . hope mark thomson can navigate this mess without messing up the whole physics scene

omg u won't believe whats happenin @cern now they just announced mark thomson as new director gen & hes gonna shut down lhc for 5 yrs for some major engineering work lol what kinda joke is that? but seriously, cern's in a tough spot with all these new colliders poppin up around the world usa china uk... they all wanna be the big dogs now and mark thomson gotta navigate all this drama to keep cern on top its like, what if he can't deliver? what if the fcc project falls through? anyway, i'm kinda hyped 2 see what mark's got planned for cern tho