SLOOH Skylog

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is due to start-up September 10, 2008 and will enable scientists to delve into the nature of the universe by seeking new particles, new forms of energy, and new principles on which the universe is constructed. Researchers will do this by colliding protons at energies up to 7 TeV - trillion electron volts (remember, electron volts represent energy, not the electro-motive force that voltage represents by itself.)

This is uncharted territory in the physics realm and may answer important questions such as the origin of mass, or the nature of dark energy. Some of the future experiments that will be run include simulating the conditions of stellar evolution. These will reveal the particle level (micro) explanations of the macro objects that we observe on Slooh (e.g. supernovae, planetary nebulas, binary systems, etc.)

We’ll be running some specials on these astronomical and cosmological aspects of the LHC on Slooh Radio as the date approaches. These will include live missions to observe and discuss how what we see on Slooh relates to the LHC project.

Check the radio schedule and here on the Slooh Skylog for more information.

I’ve included a link to a scientifically accurate presentation produced and presented by Will Barras and the scientists and engineers at LHC in Switzerland and France. They will tell you everything about this exciting new tool in a fun and non-conventional way!

Rob Keown

CERN Rap from Will Barras on Vimeo.

Every Monday on Slooh Radio, we get a peek into Bob Berman’s Strange Universe. Bob is the world’s most widely read astronomy columnist, the author of more than a thousand articles in Astronomy Magazine, the New York Times, Discover Magazine, and many others. Bob’s books include Secrets of the Night Sky, Cosmic Adventure, and Strange Universe. He is the astronomy editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac and speaks regularly on National Public Radio.

Tonight, Bob is going to focus on cosmology — our ideas through history about the nature if the Universe. What did we think in the past and what do we think now, including the revolutionary findings of the past century? There are some new strange, far-our possibilities about our cosmos — like the Big Brain Theory and parallel dimensions. Throughout the hour, Bob will also answer your questions from the chat room and guide you through the live telescope missions. If you can’t catch the show tonight, stay tuned to the Slooh SkyLog for podcasts.