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A first-person view of physics history

10/15/24

Michael Riordan has spent decades ruminating on the history of physics, including events he participated in himself.

11/27/12

Thanksgiving in the Main Control Room

The daughter of the Tevatron particle collider’s Mr. Fix-It continues a tradition of providing cheer for operators stuck at work on the holiday.

11/26/12

Contributing to an LHC experiment, no transatlantic travel required

Scientists participate in the CMS experiment from afar using remote operations centers.

11/21/12

Cosmic rays

Enrico Fermi's notebook of December 1948 contains four pages that represent the genesis of his theory of cosmic rays, particles that can hit the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds.

11/21/12

Fermilab's first physics slam a smash hit

Five scientists spent a Friday night on stage competing to see who could best convey the fun of particle physics.

Illustration of a Higgs Factory "Linear Collider" "Circular Collider" "Muon Collider" "Gamma Collider"

11/20/12

A bouquet of options: Higgs factory ideas bloom

Now that a Higgs-like boson has been discovered at the Large Hadron Collider, proposals to build colliders that churn out the new particle are gathering momentum.

11/15/12

Physicists from all over the world work the night shift to guide the Large Hadron Collider and its particle detectors from sunset to sunrise. Take a peek into two of the five CERN control rooms that are staffed 24 hours a day.

Illustration of neutrinos and other particles moving down tube

11/13/12

How to make a neutrino beam

Neutrinos are elusive particles that are difficult to study, yet they may help explain some of the biggest mysteries of our universe. Using accelerators to make neutrino beams, scientists are unveiling the neutrinos’ secrets.

11/12/12

Passing along LHC know-how to future generations

Preserving expertise about how complicated detectors work is one of the Large Hadron Collider's biggest challenges.

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