Ancient particle accelerator discovered on Mars

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the announcement of a purported discovery of an ancient particle accelerator on Mars, linked to the geological formation Olympus Mons. The conversation touches on the implications of such a discovery and the validity of the claim, particularly in light of its timing on April Fools' Day.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the discovery as revealing the largest particle accelerator ever built, suggesting it operated millions of years ago and was significantly larger than the Large Hadron Collider.
  • Another participant points out that the announcement was made on April Fools' Day, implying skepticism about the authenticity of the claim.
  • A third participant emphasizes the need to consider various factors when assessing the validity of scientific claims, quoting themselves in a somewhat humorous context.
  • Further comments express disbelief regarding the reality of the discovery and include light-hearted remarks about the implications of such a machine.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the authenticity of the discovery, with some asserting it is a hoax due to its timing, while others engage with the idea more seriously, albeit with skepticism.

Contextual Notes

The discussion is influenced by the announcement's timing on April Fools' Day, which raises questions about the seriousness of the claim and the interpretation of the evidence presented.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the intersection of geology, archaeology, and particle physics, as well as those curious about the implications of scientific claims and the context in which they are presented.

EnumaElish
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"The search for water, or even signs of life, on the planet Mars has been ongoing for some time. But with today’s announcement by CERN and NASA scientists, the exploration of the red planet has revealed a major new discovery. New images of the surface of Mars taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe, analysed by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the fields of geology, archaeology and particle physics, have revealed the presence of the largest particle accelerator ever built. The team has shown that Olympus Mons, previously thought to be the largest volcanic formation in the solar system, is in fact the remains of an ancient particle accelerator thought to have operated several million years ago.
"A landslide stretching over several kilometres spotted by the probe’s high-resolution camera, sparked the scientists’ attention. This apparently recent event revealed a number of structures, which intrigued the scientists, as their shapes clearly resembled those of superconducting accelerating cavities such as those used in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). With a circumference of almost 2000 kilometres, this particle accelerator would have been around 75 times bigger than the LHC, and millions of times more powerful. However, it is not yet known which type of particles might have been accelerated in such a machine."
http://home.cern/about/updates/2017/04/ancient-particle-accelerator-discovered-mars
 
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Physics news on Phys.org
You do realize that was posted on April Fools Day, right?
 
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"Various factors must be taken into account when considering the validity of a scientific claim." And yes, you can quote me on that:
~Tom 4/1/2017
 
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phinds said:
You do realize that was posted on April Fools Day, right?
So this isn't real either?
 
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Merry April the 1st to you, too :)
 
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Borg said:
So this isn't real either?
Too bad, I would love to have a Goggle Gnome! :biggrin:
 
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