RE Supercollider in la France:
But last Friday the machine was shut down after an electrical connection between two of the superconducting electromagnets that steer the protons suffered a so-called quench, heating up, melting and leaking helium into the collider tunnel. Liquid helium is used to cool the magnets to superconducting temperatures of only about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit above absolute zero. Stray heat can cause the magnets to lose their superconductivity with potentially disastrous consequences.
To make repairs, it will be necessary to warm the magnets up and then cool them back down again, which takes at least two months, engineers say. And that leaves scant time to run the collider before it has to shut down for the winter in early December to save money on electricity.
And also in the NY Times... the headline:
Athletes to Leave Their Brains to Concussion Study
A dozen athletes, including six N.F.L. players, have agreed to donate their brains after their deaths for research on the long-term effects of concussions.
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