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11/01/08

The dark universe debate

Who will be the first to prove the existence of dark matter and dark energy? A particle physicist and an astrophysicist go head to head.

11/01/08

Life's one eclipse after another

On the wall outside Cherrill Spencer's office, a scientific poster describes a prototype for a new type of accelerator magnet; a card thanks her for donating her long hair to make a wig for an ailing girl; and a scribbled note points to a spot on a map southeast of Novosibirsk, Russia.

11/01/08

Where old physics stuff goes to live

The Fermilab boneyard is no burial ground; it’s a place where unwanted parts find new homes and lives. They’re matched with scientists who can put them to good use, donated to local schools and parks, or sold for recycling.

An illustration of a teapot letting off steam
11/01/08

Magnet quench

A quench occurs when a magnet in a particle accelerator loses its superconductivity.

Logbook of September 2008
09/01/08

Contraterrene matter

As the winter of 1941 began, Jack Williamson sat in a small unpainted cabin he had built on his family’s New Mexico ranch, pounding out a story on a secondhand Remington portable typewriter.

09/01/08

Ping-pong roast

At a recent symposium honoring former Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Director Jonathan Dorfan, dinner guests were treated to a course of the unexpected.

09/01/08

Diving for zebras

Ben Czaplewski lifts a 30-pound helmet onto his head and lowers himself into a manhole. He disappears without a splash.

09/01/08

Life at the LHC reaches fever pitch

As the big collider ramps up, four physicists talk about working late, finding time to play, and staying connected to family and friends.

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