Large Hadron Collider: Scientists launch competition for a funkier name

[n2doc]

The Large Hadron Collider may do exactly what it says on the tin but, in an unusual move, scientists have asked members of the public to come up with a catchier name. Stephen Adams reports.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) - perhaps motivated by a little professional jealousy at the media attention given to the physics experiment - has launched a competition to find a new moniker for the atom smashing machine buried beneath Geneva.

Dr Richard Pike, its chief executive, has said that the name "fails to reflect the drama of its mission, or the inspiration it should be conveying to the wider public".

The organisation has launched a competition, with a £500 prize, to find what it considers to be "the best alternative name ... which most effectively captures the imagination of both young and old, whether interested in science, or merely sceptical onlookers."

more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/earth/2008/09/12/scicern112.xml

[BlooInBloo]

1. Uh folks... You're never going to get idiots to be interested in physics....

And you really don't want to deal with their stupid questions and claims. Let the name stay as-is.

[kurth_]

2. Hardon is funkier

[aquart]

3. Smashing Things Way Smaller Than Pumpkins?

[derby378]

4. The Magic M-Theory Machine

Hey, I'm just tossing out ideas, here...

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. That's kinda cool, actually

[jgraz]

5. Not until they change The Big Bang to The Horrendous Space Kablooie

[Submariner]

6. The Caribou Barbie brain cell locator

[YankeyMCC]

7. Bob nt

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

8. The Luddite's Lament

n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. LOL

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. Neo-Luddites, you mean

The original Luddites had a sound, if misguided, idea: destroy factory looms that were destroying the cottage spinning and weaving industry and condemning a very large part of the populace to abject poverty and foreclosure. "Neo-Luddite" is the correct term for someone who is generally against technology.

[jimshoes]

9. The super big shiznit booya machine.

[BridgeTheGap]

13. Leak deals new setback to supercollider

GENEVA - After a widely heralded startup, the world's largest particle collider has suffered two malfunctions in the past week — setting off two separate rounds of troubleshooting.

The first problem with the Large Hadron Collider occurred within hours of the $10 billion project's official launch on Sept. 10, but the operators at Europe's CERN particle-physics center didn't make the glitch public for a week.

The collider was briefly brought back into operation on Thursday, but sensors detected a large helium leak from the device's cooling system during testing on Friday. That forced another shutdown, and an investigation of the problem was expected to continue through the weekend.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26780393

[phantom power]

14. Notorious L.H.C.