The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest particle accelerator, located at CERN in Switzerland. It accelerates particles to near light-speed and collides them to study subatomic particles. Researchers use it to answer fundamental questions about the universe and discover particles like the Higgs boson. Some physicists have theorized that colliding particles at very high energies could potentially trigger a microscopic black hole that could grow and absorb the planet, though this risk is considered very small. The document discusses the ethical questions around continuing such high-energy research.

1. CERN Large Hadron
Collider
By: Alex (Christian) Burton

2. What is it?
• The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the worlds largest particle
accelerator/collider, which, as the name implies, accelerates certain particles
to very high energies(near light-speed) before making them collide, allowing
researchers to study the particles at the sub-atomic level.

3. What kind of research is done?
• Particle accelerators are used mainly in particle and nuclear physics, but are used in
many different applications such as medicine, industry, and security.
• Particle-physics, the main science studied using these machines, asks basic questions
about the universe, and with these machines they have been able to make
discoveries of the fundamental particles and physical laws that govern matter,
energy, space, and time.
• In the recent years, they discovered the Higgs Boson, or the “God Particle,” which
is one of the most important and fundamental particles to our universe’s existence.

4. Not so Fun Facts
• The Hadron Collider uses over 9600 super magnets, which produce a force
100,000 times the earth’s gravitational pull
• It can reach temperatures 100,000 times hotter than those at the center of
the sun
• It has been theorized by many different eminent physicists that if the Higgs
Boson particle becomes unstable at high energy levels it could trigger a sort
of black hole that could absorb the planet. (A few Physicists have filed
lawsuits against the company, but were thrown out by the government)

5. Ethical questions
• Even though Particle accelerators have helped to make tons of discoveries in
the scientific world, Should CERN be allowed to continue to use their LHC,
taking into account all the professional physicists’ concerns?
• Should the government step-in on research like this? Or should they be able
to keep researching without government involvement. (Nothing has gone
wrong yet)
• Should we as humans continue to study and “play God” with these
machines/particles?

6. http://energy.gov/articles/how-particle-accelerators-work
http://www.infowars.com/10-mind-blowing-facts-about-the-cern-large-
collider-you-need-to-know/