✨CERN plans colossus collider, Bombardier to debut fastest civilian jet, world’s oldest sponge found

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CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has been at the forefront of fundamental scientific research. In 2012, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) found proof of the Higgs Boson, which played a key role in giving mass to the fundamental particles in the universe.

Leveraging the momentum from the LHC, researchers at CERN have completed a comprehensive feasibility study for the planned Future Circular Collider (FCC), which would measure about 91 km around.

The FCC aims to unlock new realms of fundamental physics research. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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MUST-READ

✨ CERN's new collider to be 3x the size of Large Hadron Collider

The proposed FCC is expected to have a circumference of 56.5 miles (91 km), over three times that of the LHC. The ring-shaped underground tunnel would be 200 m (or 656 ft) under the Swiss-France region.

CERN plans to unfold the project in two stages. The first stage involves an electron-positron collider called FCC-ee, where electrons will collide with their antimatter counterparts, positrons. Lasting approximately 15 years, this stage will concentrate on precision measurements that might expose subtle differences from the Standard Model.

The second stage is a proton-proton collider called the FCC-hh, using the same tunnel but different equipment. The collisions would occur at energies up to 100 TeV, nearly eight times those seen in the LHC.

✈️ Mach 0.94: Bombardier to debut fastest civilian jet since Concorde

The fastest civilian aircraft since the Concorde is set to take flight this year. Canadian jet maker Bombardier’s Global 8000 private jet will go into service in the second half of 2025.

The aircraft will fly at speeds of Mach 0.94 (715 mph/1,152km/h), bringing it very close to supersonic speed.

Today, the world’s fastest private jet in service is the Cessna Citation X+. The light aircraft is capable of reaching top speeds of Mach 0.935 (1,154 km/h).

🧽 World’s oldest sponge found in China dates back 480 million years

Scientists have gained new insights into early reef life and biomineralization thanks to the discovery of a 480-million-year-old sponge in China.

In a new study, Chinese researchers detailed the discovery of Lophiostroma leizunia, a remarkably well-preserved ancient sponge that played a vital role in reef formation during a key period of Earth's evolution.

Dating back 480 million years, the specimen from Yuan’an, Tichang, South China is the oldest Stromatoporoid sponge ever found.

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