Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 If you were given a free run of the world, an unrestricted right of access to the greatest of monuments, the most secret of places, or a visit to the earth's greatest natural or manmade wonders, which place would you pick? You may cash in by choosing a chopper ride over Grand Canyon on a clear, sunny, frosty cold morning, or be devious enough to inveigle yourself into the White House during one of Obama's top level meetings, or perhaps ask for the Eiffel Tower to be emptied just for you, so that you may survey the magnificence of Paris across the silvery Seine as dusk falls. Take your pick. I would like a visit to CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, which stands on the Swiss-French border on the outskirts of Geneva. In my opinion, it is the greatest research facility that exists anywhere in the world. Despite its location, it is an independent body and not under French or Swiss dominion. It draws its support from 20 European countries, and the two greatest funding nations are Germany & the UK. It's a truly pan-European institute. You'll probably have come to know CERN as the home of the Hadron collider. It is essentially the world's largest particle physics laboratory. Two of its scientists won the Nobel Prize for discovering the W & Z bosons, the particles that mediate Weak Force. Another won the Nobel for innovating the multiwire proportional chamber, essentially a (vast) improvement on the Geiger counter for measuring radiation. But beyond particle physics, the world owes CERN perhaps the greatest discovery ever made- the internet. In 1989, British computer scientist Tim Berners Lee first conceived the world wide web, and with the help of Robert Cailliau, the web went live in 1990. Our lives would never be the same again. He was voted alongside Albert Hoffman as the world's greatest living genius by The Daily Telegraph readers in 2007. He now teaches at the MIT. Unfortunately, CERN is closed to the lay public. If I had my dream ticket, I'd ask for a guided tour of the place by one of its resplendent scientists.
DomainK Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 If you were given a free run of the world, an unrestricted right of access to the greatest of monuments, the most secret of places, or a visit to the earth's greatest natural or manmade wonders, which place would you pick? You may cash in by choosing a chopper ride over Grand Canyon on a clear, sunny, frosty cold morning, or be devious enough to inveigle yourself into the White House during one of Obama's top level meetings, or perhaps ask for the Eiffel Tower to be emptied just for you, so that you may survey the magnificence of Paris across the silvery Seine as dusk falls. Take your pick. I would like a visit to CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, which stands on the Swiss-French border on the outskirts of Geneva. In my opinion, it is the greatest research facility that exists anywhere in the world. Despite its location, it is an independent body and not under French or Swiss dominion. It draws its support from 20 European countries, and the two greatest funding nations are Germany & the UK. It's a truly pan-European institute. You'll probably have come to know CERN as the home of the Hadron collider. It is essentially the world's largest particle physics laboratory. Two of its scientists won the Nobel Prize for discovering the W & Z bosons, the particles that mediate Weak Force. Another won the Nobel for innovating the multiwire proportional chamber, essentially a (vast) improvement on the Geiger counter for measuring radiation. But beyond particle physics, the world owes CERN perhaps the greatest discovery ever made- the internet. In 1989, British computer scientist Tim Berners Lee first conceived the world wide web, and with the help of Robert Cailliau, the web went live in 1990. Our lives would never be the same again. He was voted alongside Albert Hoffman as the world's greatest living genius by The Daily Telegraph readers in 2007. He now teaches at the MIT. Unfortunately, CERN is closed to the lay public. If I had my dream ticket, I'd ask for a guided tour of the place by one of its resplendent scientists. BTW, is it true what Dan Brown says in Angels and Demons.....that CERN has developed anti-matter already?
Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Posted June 20, 2009 BTW' date=' is it true what Dan Brown says in Angels and Demons.....that CERN has developed anti-matter already?[/quote'] In a very limited way. CERN produces around 50 million anti-protons every minute, and thus a few hundred anti-hydrogen atoms. That's about five hundred million dollars for a billionth of a gram of anti-matter in a whole year. You can see the problem. BTW, in medicine, we use anti-matter in PET scanners (positron emission tomography), which is one of the most sensitive tools to pick up residual cancer.
DomainK Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 In a very limited way. CERN produces around 50 million anti-protons every minute, and thus a few hundred anti-hydrogen atoms. That's about five hundred million dollars for a billionth of a gram of anti-matter in a whole year. You can see the problem. BTW, in medicine, we use anti-matter in PET scanners (positron emission tomography), which is one of the most sensitive tools to pick up residual cancer. And whats the estimated time period before we can produce anti-matter in sufficient quantity for general use? Will it be in time to give us an alternative source of energy in place of petroleum? Sorry if I am derailing the thread.
Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Posted June 20, 2009 With existing technology, a very long time, and maybe never as far as car fuel goes.
maggot_brain Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 I'd have a peek inside the Mosque and Kaaba at Mecca.
EnterTheVoid Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 BTW' date=' is it true what Dan Brown says in Angels and Demons.....that CERN has developed anti-matter already?[/quote'] The Large Hadron Collider is used to smash atomic particles => Anti Matter is created, which is than stolen by the Illuminati who use to blackmail the Vatican Church My Dream Ticket: Isaraeli Spy Agency Mossad I want to know how the principal spy agency of a country the size of Bihar, with their limited resources, is next only to the spy agencies of the United States Also add AIPAC => American Israeli Public Affairs Comittee
Gambit Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 I have a lot of respect for CERN and the people who work there. IMO it's the toughest place to get a job. You have to be brilliant. I used to play cricket for the Geneva Cricket Club a few years ago and I met an Indian guy there who worked at CERN. He just reeked of genius. As for me, I would love to go to Area 51. I have been fascinated by that place ever since I was a child. I want to explore every nook and cranny and see whether what I believe goes on there, really goes on.
EnterTheVoid Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 Another person I would like to meet is "Marilyn Manson" I was under the impression he was some satanic, what with his bizzare appearence and stage stunts. All that changed when I saw his interview with Bill O Reily, and let me tell you, I was simply amazed at how well he articulated his thoughts when put in difficult positions I made an effort to listen to his music and wow, there is a moral, a message in almost all of his songs. Sounds hard to believe, but I cant think of one other musician, past or present, living or dead, that gave me a different perspective of life as much as Marilyn Manson did
DomainK Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 I have a lot of respect for CERN and the people who work there. IMO it's the toughest place to get a job. You have to be brilliant. I used to play cricket for the Geneva Cricket Club a few years ago and I met an Indian guy there who worked at CERN. He just reeked of genius. As for me, I would love to go to Area 51. I have been fascinated by that place ever since I was a child. I want to explore every nook and cranny and see whether what I believe goes on there, really goes on. Yes, that's a nice place to visit. I hope to find a live alien.:eyedance:
Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Posted June 20, 2009 Don't want smart alec comments on this thread. If you have nothing to say, respectfully **** off.
punjabi_khota Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 I would like to attend the Indian team meeting on the 5th morning of an important test match.
The Outsider Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 Interesting choice, CERN. You'll be disappointed though, unless the idea is just to pay homage to one of the greatest science centers in mankind's history. It's a bunch of mundane buildings and labs scattered around in a huge area. The colliders are obviously all underground and don't have any access except I guess to the repair/construction staff. And what are you going to see even if you access them - a bunch of metal designed with superb precision. CERN organizes an uncountable number of conferences and meetings every year and I guess it won't be impossible to find a way to visit it through those means. The logistics inside CERN are a nightmare though with separate access restrictions for most buildings etc. Nice place though and standing on the ground it's impossible to fathom that you are standing on top of one of the most underrated engineering marvels made. Personally, I would love a ticket to Antarctica - just drop me off at one end of the continent and pick me up at the other when the Southern summer ends. Would love to trek across the place - not hundred years but 6 months of solitude would be good enough. There used to be a short straw summer assignment in grad school - to spend time monitoring an experiment in the Antarctica winter along with 2-3 other folks. There was no shortage of perks - free booze, food, TV, internet, phone etc. but most people came back half bonkers and I can perfectly understand why - locked up underground with machines and a handful of people for months on end.
Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Posted June 20, 2009 Interesting choice, CERN. You'll be disappointed though, unless the idea is just to pay homage to one of the greatest science centers in mankind's history. It's a bunch of mundane buildings and labs scattered around in a huge area. The colliders are obviously all underground and don't have any access except I guess to the repair/construction staff. And what are you going to see even if you access them - a bunch of metal designed with superb precision. CERN organizes an uncountable number of conferences and meetings every year and I guess it won't be impossible to find a way to visit it through those means. The logistics inside CERN are a nightmare though with separate access restrictions for most buildings etc. Nice place though and standing on the ground it's impossible to fathom that you are standing on top of one of the most underrated engineering marvels made. You've been there obviously. I'd give my back teeth to pay a visit. Recently went to the National Space Museum at Leicester, and it was an amazing trip. Science never ceases to amaze me. The more I see, the more I want to see.
EnterTheVoid Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 To add to what I've said: 1. I'd like to meet William Shockley and his research partners at Bell Research Labs when they discovered the transistor. I'd also want to see, with my own eyes, how they cram 100 million or so transistors on a silicon wafer, the size of ones fingernail, when manufacturing the CPU of a computer.
The Outsider Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 You've been there obviously. I'd give my back teeth to pay a visit. Recently went to the National Space Museum at Leicester' date=' and it was an amazing trip. Science never ceases to amaze me. The more I see, the more I want to see.[/quote'] Yeah, for 4-5 days as part of a conference - your enthusiasm towards science is infectious! I am being tempted to catch up on what's been happening in my former profession over the weekend. CERN is different from the science museums you'll visit - it's an active research facility and would probably not hold much for the casual visitor as I doubt they have the kind of organized and streamlined tours and guides that are available at places designed for the public. But seriously, if you are that keen on visiting the place explore the idea of attending a conference/seminar there. You'll probably have to foot the bill for it(~$400-500) as I doubt a hospital would sponsor your sojourn into Particle Physics, but it just might turn out to be a different and worthwhile experience.
Dhondy Posted June 20, 2009 Author Posted June 20, 2009 Yeah, for 4-5 days as part of a conference - your enthusiasm towards science is infectious! I am being tempted to catch up on what's been happening in my former profession over the weekend. CERN is different from the science museums you'll visit - it's an active research facility and would probably not hold much for the casual visitor as I doubt they have the kind of organized and streamlined tours and guides that are available at places designed for the public. But seriously, if you are that keen on visiting the place explore the idea of attending a conference/seminar there. You'll probably have to foot the bill for it(~$400-500) as I doubt a hospital would sponsor your sojourn into Particle Physics, but it just might turn out to be a different and worthwhile experience. Thanks. It's something I certainly intend to do. Favoured the mountains over the lakes the last couple of times, so didn't get a chance. I'll have to read up beforehand though. There are plenty of "For Dummies" volumes on Amazon, so that's the first step, otherwise it'll be a wasted trip.
The Outsider Posted June 20, 2009 Posted June 20, 2009 Thanks. It's something I certainly intend to do. Favoured the mountains over the lakes the last couple of times, so didn't get a chance. I'll have to read up beforehand though. There are plenty of "For Dummies" volumes on Amazon, so that's the first step, otherwise it'll be a wasted trip. The single most important thing that CERN taught me was a huge respect and admiration for engineers. Being a theoretical Physicist it is very easy to fall into the trap which is specially prevalent among graduate students that engineering is nothing but an application of what we conceive, theorize, and prove. Watching CERN operate at close quarters was a revelation. It is an engineering marvel - the science which will come out of it is of course going to change our perceptions of the universe - but make no mistake that it was the engineers who laid the ground work for it. There were some unexplained signals during it's calibration and it turned out the noise was coming from some railway tracks miles away. The entire system was re-calibrated and partially re-engineered to account for things like this - so delicate and sensitive is the entire system.
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