"Permanent Employment for Physicists for Decades"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/science/11collider.html

The article presents a melancholic tone in its description of Fermilab's new second-place position in the world of particle collision and in the dejection that followed Congress' decision not to fund the Superconducting Supercollidor.

In a roundabout way, CERN reminds me of the scene in 'Contact' where John Hurt's character explains to Jodi Foster's character that a second wormhole machine has been built in secret in Japan and all is not lost. ["Why build one when you can build two for twice the price?"]

The world may end

tonight! Those Swiss scientists are gearing up to recreate the Big Bang. Hold on to your hats.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/science/09collide.html

If, like me, you don't really understand the science, this video may help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM

And this video is just incredibly cute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpAl58XyV5Q