Narrator: THIS IS
THE EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION
FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH --
CERN.
CERN IS HOME TO HALF OF
THE WORLD'S PARTICLE PHYSICISTS
AND THE BIGGEST
PARTICLE-HUNTING MACHINE
THAT HAS EVER BEEN BUILT,
THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER,
OR LHC.
INSIDE THIS PIPE,
TWO BEAMS OF PROTONS
ARE SENT HURTLING
AROUND A NEARLY 17-MILE LOOP
BEFORE BEING SMASHED TOGETHER
TO CREATE SUBATOMIC PARTICLES.
IT RE-CREATES
THE CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED
JUST AFTER THE BIG BANG.
THE BIG BANG WAS AN EXPLOSION
THAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE UNIVERSE
WHEN ALL MATTER WAS CREATED.
SO THIS IS THE YEAR ZERO,
AND IF WE DRAW A LINE HERE...
Narrator: FROM THIS POINT,
THE UNIVERSE EXPANDED,
GETTING COOLER
WITH ITS ENERGY DISPERSING.
...TO WHERE WE ARE
IN THE UNIVERSE NOW
WHERE HUMANS EXIST,
THAT'S 14 BILLION YEARS.
Narrator: OUR SUN WAS FORMED
9 BILLION YEARS AGO,
WHILE THE FIRST STARS FORMED
OVER 8 BILLION YEARS EARLIER.
BUT THE LHC IS ABLE TO LOOK
EVEN FURTHER BACK IN TIME
TO WHEN ALL THAT EXISTED WERE
THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS
OF THE UNIVERSE,
PARTICLES.
Dr. Martin: SO IN A WAY,
THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER IS
LIKE A TIME MACHINE
TRYING TO CREATE
THE CONDITIONS THAT HAPPENED
JUST IN THE FEW MILLIONTHS
OF A SECOND
AFTER THE BIG BANG
TO SEE WHAT PARTICLES EXISTED
WHEN THE ENERGY DENSITY
OF THE UNIVERSE
WAS REALLY, REALLY HIGH.
Narrator:
AT THE MOMENT OF COLLISION,
THE ENERGY IS CONVERTED
INTO MASS
IN THE FORM
OF THOUSANDS OF PARTICLES.
ALTHOUGH MOST WILL BE ONES
WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT,
THE HOPE IS
THAT UNDISCOVERED PARTICLES
MIGHT ALSO BE CREATED
THAT COULD HELP EXPLAIN
SOME OF THE MYSTERIES
OF HOW THE UNIVERSE WAS FORMED.
[ BLOWS ]
