What proportion of the world population understands this motivation for a new collider? Then of the tiny, tiny proportion which does understand, how many understand what sort of a new collider will do this? And how? Is this truly the best sales pitch for it? - ThreadSky

johncarrabc.bsky.social • 18 days ago

What proportion of the world population understands this motivation for a new collider?
Then of the tiny, tiny proportion which does understand, how many understand what sort of a new collider will do this? And how?
Is this truly the best sales pitch for it?

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badboyofscience.bsky.social•18 days ago

It's definitely an uneven playing field.

Saying "Everything is stupid and too expensive" is very easy and brings contrarian clicks and engagement. It makes people feel like they have a good handle on things.

Carefully explaining the case is difficult and takes time.

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

A future particle physics collider is big enough that it will be decided by politicians. Almost certainly no European politician understands the arguments you are making in your video, therefore they will not help.

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

Any recommendation will go through committees of scientist who must set out priorities. In the competitor projects there will be astronomy, space exploration and public health. I would not expect parcel physics to come out too well without a fundamental physics argument which is easy to understand.

badboyofscience.bsky.social•18 days ago

Tbh, politicians usually care more about the training of people, economic benefits etc.

https://home.cern/science/cern/fcc-study-media-kit-2024#:~:text=The%20benefit%2Fcost%20ratio%20is,More%20information%20here.

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

I hope CERN has big plans for FCC exhibit. I went to the CERN museum a year ago and was disappointed about what there was. Is the sphere being renovated for a big new exhibit?

badboyofscience.bsky.social•17 days ago

I was disappointed too.

Hopefully, it’s a work in progress

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

I was working in the US when the SSC was approved. I remember a conference dinner where the local senator invited everyone to write a one sentence reason why the SSC should be built on their napkin. Only a few did. As you well know the SSC was approved and then cancelled a few years later.

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

In the current world, a new collider anywhere must be sold to the general public. The public understands astronomy but not particle physics. Clearly if the LHC closes without a successor, particle physics is dead for ever, so it is now or never to make the case.

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

In my opinion, as a particle physicist who retired 10 years ago, the FCC at CERN is the only possible option, using the "energy frontier" and new discoveries as the argument. Arguing for lower energy muon, electron colliders or Higgs factories is the way to get nothing.

badboyofscience.bsky.social•18 days ago

We've ceded online spaces to contrarians and doomsayers.

It's time to take them back and make the positive case.

badboyofscience.bsky.social•18 days ago

Yep - it still has a resonating effect, especially with US HEPers

johncarrabc.bsky.social•18 days ago

Yes, I can imagine.
Even more with the DOGE witch hunts getting started. For pure science in the US Particle Physics will be high on the cancel list.

badboyofscience.bsky.social•18 days ago

Some experts still think we shouldn't build a new collider right now, or certain colliders should be considered over others, but the vast majority of experts support a new machine in some form.

I will discuss the various forms in the next episode.

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