CERN is at it again

Ian Sample, science correspondent writes:

The machine is being bolted together inside a tunnel 17 miles (27km) long, and when the power is thrown on next year it will recreate conditions unknown for 14bn years since the extraordinary fireball that marked the beginning of the universe - the big bang which blasted time and space into existence.

The machine, the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, Europe's particle physics laboratory, in Switzerland, was commissioned as a £4.2bn sledgehammer to crack some of the most compelling mysteries of the universe. Britain's stake in the project is enormous. This year alone £78m will be channelled into the experiment, where 600 British physicists are based.

Now I personally think they are right about there being no direct practical application of this extraordinary undertaking. On the other hand, if there is new information about how things function at the subatomic level, that would be most helpful for scientists everywhere.

I am a little concerned that they seem to be trying to 'play God'. This might be venturing towards tower of Babel territory. I guess we will see once they get everything running. As an engineer and curious person I am intrigued to see what will come of it.