Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by cominous 1067 days ago
Read the article. It was a >local< event at one of the magnets which caused the whole magnet to freeze over. The "consequences" are, that the whole accelerator needs to halt operations to repair the element. That takes quite a while and will postpone the schedule..
2 comments
defrost 1067 days ago
You only love your collider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e1eLe1ihT0

link
phatskat 1067 days ago
Thank you? Yes, thank you. I think.
link
sakex 1067 days ago
Sure but is it impossible that something would leak when injecting massive amounts of energy in a gigantic tunnel?
link
constantcrying 1067 days ago
But what would leak? The helium? The nitrogen?

The only real danger is if you are in an enclosed space and oxygen is displaced. Nitrogen gas is about the least toxic substance imaginable and helium will literally just go away unless you make absolutely sure to trap it.

link
__alexs 1067 days ago
> Nitrogen gas is about the least toxic substance imaginable

Interestingly basically all gasses appear to be bad for you in some way. Perhaps the vacuum of space truly is where we belong? /s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_narcosis

I can't find the study right now but I think this affect is even measurable at atmospheric pressure in that if you give replace the Nitrogen with other noble gasses you can observe improvements in cognitive function.

link
constantcrying 1067 days ago
100% of substances are bad for you under some circumstances.

You have breathed in millions of liters of nitrogen. It is as safe as any substance could possibly be.

link
MikeDelta 1067 days ago
The amounts of energy injected are not that large. 1TeV, the order of magnitude, is (according to google) the motion energy of a flying mosquito. You don't even feel that landing on your body.

The special part is that this energy is put into one particle, which makes it able to achieve other interactions.

Such particles sound scary, but the only special thing about this is that we, humans, have produced that. Our earth is bombarded constantly by cosmic high-energy particles of much much higher energy [0]. I am talking about extra-galactic particles with energy levels unknown to earth.

[0] https://masterclass.icecube.wisc.edu/en/analyses/cosmic-ray-...

link
flangola7 1067 days ago
Besides helium, what substances are you worried about leaking?
link