Does anyone know when the LHC will be open to the public again?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the accessibility of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN for public visits, including inquiries about when it might reopen and the potential hazards associated with such visits. Participants share their thoughts on the feasibility and safety of public access to the underground areas of the facility.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a desire to visit CERN but note that the underground areas are currently closed to the public.
  • One participant suggests that the LHC may not be open to the public until after an upgrade in about ten years.
  • Concerns are raised about the various hazards present in the LHC tunnel, including electrical, cryogenic, oxygen deficiency, and radiation hazards.
  • Humorous remarks are made about the idea of receiving "souvenir hadrons" during a visit, along with playful banter about typos and the nature of black holes.
  • Participants discuss the level of detail and safety required in the operation of the LHC, indicating that public access may not align with safety protocols.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the LHC has ever been open to the general public, with some expressing doubt about past accessibility and others suggesting that there may be observation areas available. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of public access and safety concerns.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various hazards associated with the LHC, indicating that safety considerations may limit public access. There is also a playful tone in some exchanges, which may affect the seriousness of the discussion.

James1991
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I am hoping to visit CERN at some point, but the underground areas are closed off at the moment. So just wondering if anyone knows when it's open to the public again

Thanks :)
 
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Not until the upgrade in 10 years or so, probably.
 
Will the visitors get free souvenir hadrons?
 
Jimmy Snyder said:
Will the visitors get free souvenir hadrons?

Yes, the receptionist is very charming.
 
what said:
Yes, the receptionist is very charming.
Terrific. Perhaps I'll bump into you there.
 
Jimmy Snyder said:
Terrific. Perhaps I'll bump into you there.

Or the anti-me.
 
Again? I doubt very much that the LHC tunnel was ever open to the general public. There are electrical hazards, cryogenic hazards, oxygen deficiency hazards and now that the machine has been operating, radiation hazards. As if that weren't enough, yhere are areas where millions of dollars of damage could be caused by a careless visitor.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
yhere are areas where millions of dollars of damage could be caused by a careless visitor.

Well this is a first, you may want to correct the typo "yhere", this could be mistaken for Pirate English, and no one would want to mistake you for a pirate... lol

Rhody...
 
  • #10
Shiver me timbers, matey!
 
  • #11
Don't forget about all the black holes down there now that the LHC has been running.

If a tourist happened to fall into one of those, the legal problems would be phenomenal! Of course, since it's a black hole, there wouldn't be any evidence left of the tourist falling in there. (And there are many other black holes for any witnesses... Man, those guys at CERN are in deep.)
 
  • #12
If you type 342292850771 in the keypad, it's open to the public right now
 
  • #13
rhody said:
Well this is a first, you may want to correct the typo "yhere", this could be mistaken for Pirate English, and no one would want to mistake you for a pirate... lol

Rhody...

That's not the worst typo you can make when talking about the large hadron collider.
 
  • #14
Jack21222 said:
That's not the worst typo you can make when talking about the large hadron collider.

Jack,

Amen, and then some, being anal retentive about everything technical with inner workings of the LHC would be grossly "understating" the level of attention to detail required to keep it running safe...

I was just having a bit of fun with v_50, he is a pithy guy. Up to now have never seen him make a mistake with spelling. We should cut him some slack, I worked 52 hours last week, did little posting on PF because I was so fried learning a new intense skill at work.

Rhody...
 
  • #15
rhody said:
Jack,

Amen, and then some, being anal retentive about everything technical with inner workings of the LHC would be grossly "understating" the level of attention to detail required to keep it running safe...

I was just having a bit of fun with v_50, he is a pithy guy. Up to now have never seen him make a mistake with spelling. We should cut him some slack, I worked 52 hours last week, did little posting on PF because I was so fried learning a new intense skill at work.

Rhody...

My point was, at least he didn't do this:

telegraph_lhc.jpg
 
  • #16
Vanadium 50 said:
Again? I doubt very much that the LHC tunnel was ever open to the general public. There are electrical hazards, cryogenic hazards, oxygen deficiency hazards and now that the machine has been operating, radiation hazards. As if that weren't enough, yhere are areas where millions of dollars of damage could be caused by a careless visitor.

Visiting any other facility doesn't put one right into the inner workings. I'm sure there must be observation rooms, guideways and guides to keep people running off and fiddling around with the superconducting supercollider!
 

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