China Set to Build World's Largest Particle Accelerator

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Jun 18, 2024

Above: The European Organization for Nuclear Research commonly known as CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory. Image copyright: Luis Davilla/Contributor/Cover via Getty Imagesstory last updated Jun 20

The Facts

A proposal before the Chinese government could see the country start building a $5B, 100 km (62 mi) Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) to study the Higgs boson particle and explore questions of the universe and how particles interact.
CEPC, which is reportedly "a circular Higgs factory comprising four accelerators," may be fully built by 2035 and would become the world's top particle collider.

The Spin

Narrative A

China's $5B CEPC will involve exorbitant costs but limited scientific benefits. The funds would be better spent on social issues and other scientific research. Its high expense and the minimal involvement of Chinese scientists in high-energy physics will likely be a "bottomless pit." Instead, investment ought to be channeled towards broader endeavors that directly benefit the country's people.

Narrative B

China should build the super-collider to push the boundaries of particle physics further. The Higgs boson's discovery was groundbreaking, but many questions remain unanswered. China's larger collider could uncover new particles — supporting or debunking existing theories and providing invaluable negative results. It also would foster high-tech industry growth in China and attract global scientific talent, invigorating its scientific community. Given its scale and technological demands, this collider could be the last of its kind.