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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Dispatch From CERN: Which Higgs?

A visualization of proton-proton collision events recorded by the Large Hadron Collider's (LHC) Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

February 27, 2013 Scientists have found a Higgs-like particle, a key component in modern physics theory. But is it the Higgs particle, or a new one, part of a more complex model?

Summary

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Big Science Paves The Way Forward

Big science in orbit: the Hubble Space Telescope

January 30, 2013 In the wake of the Hubble Space Telescope and the discovery of the Higgs boson, should we continue to pursue big science projects, in spite of their costs? Commentator Marcelo Gleiser says it's a no brainer.

Summary

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Recreating The Universe In The Lab

One way we make sense of the cosmos is to study what's in it, objects like this brown dwarf (artist's impression) observed by the ESO's ALMA project. Another way is to watch what happens when tiny particles are smashed together in "labs" such as the LHC at CERN.

December 5, 2012 Can scientists create universes in the lab? Although that may not be possible, physicists can recreate the young universe in high energy particle collisions. Recent results indicate that the young universe may be stranger than anticipated.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Sean Carroll Tells A Story Of Humanity In The Hunt For The Higgs Boson

A worker walks past a giant photograph of the CMS detector of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at a 2008 science exhibition in Berlin, Germany.

November 27, 2012 If you're the kind who secretly obsesses about the fundamental nature of reality but wouldn't know a boson if it was delivering roses at your doorstep, I have good news for you.

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ListenPlaylist

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

When Is A Theory Wrong?

The Universe of Particles exhibition at CERN in 2011.

November 21, 2012 Theories are the life-blood of science; but ruling them out may be harder than you think. And letting a cherished model fall on the trash heap of history is even harder, yet. Take "supersymmetry" from the world of particle physics, for example. When might we see its demise or its vindication?

Summary

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The Higgs: What's The Big Deal?

A new day dawning on humanity: the sun rises behind The Globe of Science and Innovation at CERN on July 4, 2012.

July 4, 2012 Count your money or look to the stars, either way, the discovery of the Higgs is significant and a significant step forward for humanity.

Summary

The Two-Way

CERN Discovers A New Particle, Likely The Higgs Boson

The Large Hadron Collider.

July 4, 2012 The Higgs, credited with giving particles mass, was the missing piece of the Standard Model of physics. Without it, the world would be a massless mess of photons flying at light speed.

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Monday, July 02, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Will Fermilab Announce Real Higgs Results Today?

July 2, 2012 Scientists at the Tevatron may be announcing their own results on the Higgs search today.

Summary

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Is 'Big Science' In Trouble?

A 2007 artist's conception of the James Webb Space Telescope in operation.

May 9, 2012 In a time of budget woes, how much should a country invest in basic science research? Commentator Marcelo Gleiser says a country that stops investing in basic research compromises its future.

Summary

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The Big 'Maybe': What The 'God Particle' Hunt Tells Us About Science

A proton-proton collision in the ATLAS detector at CERN shows signs that may, or may not, indicate a Higgs signature.

December 13, 2011 The Higgs might be found. The Higgs might not be found. After all that time and all that effort, the Higgs might not exist in the energies we can probe or, might not exist at all. More data, more observation will eventually give us the answer.

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Tuesday, June 07, 2011

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

A Great Mystery Comes Into Focus: Antimatter Trapped For 16 Minutes

A handout from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on June 5, 2011 shows untrapped anti-hydrogen atoms annihilating on the inner surface of the ALPHA trap.

June 7, 2011 The strange existence of anti-matter and its radical imbalance as a cosmic constituent is a fundamental mystery that has persisted for eight decades. We may finally be poised to understand not only the universe that is but also the universe that might have been.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The God Particle: A Disclaimer

A view of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. For scale, note the workers toward the bottom of the image.

April 27, 2011 Rumors that the Higgs particle (aka the God particle) has been found teach us how large-scale science projects work and how science advances

Summary

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