Tufts physicists collaborate on Big Bang experiment
Two groups of Boston researchers are collaborating on a project to recreate conditions that existed for a "fraction of an instant after the Big Bang," according to The Boston Globe.The project will be fully executed in 2007, using an apparatus called the Large Hadron Collider, which smashes proton beams together at nearly the speed of light.
The first team, comprised of physicists from Tufts, MIT, Harvard, Brandeis and Boston University (BU), is building tubes that will track an elementary particle called a muon.
The second group, made up of researchers at MIT, Northeastern and BU, is working on software and electronics development that will be used to analyze the data.
In 2007, scientists will be looking for as yet unobserved particles whose existence is predicted by several theories. The appearance of these particles, if it occurs, may fundamentally change the current understanding of what makes up the universe.
The researchers will investigate such conundrums as how particles acquire mass, what accounts for invisible dark energy and dark matter, and how gravity might be combined into an expanded fundamental theory of particle physics.
New Lincoln Park School on agenda
Mayor Joe Curtatone announced earlier this month that the City has planned construction on a new school to be opened in fall of 2007.
The idea is not a new one. A new Lincoln Park School was proposed eight years ago but never came to fruition due to complaints about "location and other issues," according to The Somerville Journal.
Curtatone told the Journal that the City will construct the new school on the "footprint" of the current building to minimize its effect on the surrounding neighborhood.
The mayor and the City's aldermen will work with a new Lincoln Park School Advisory Committee, made up of Somerville residents who will provide input throughout the project.
Despite loss, Ciampa set to run decal campaign
Former state representative Vincent Ciampa may have lost his chance at re-election, but he has announced plans to run a sticker campaign to oust his opponent Carl Sciortino from the Massachusetts legislature.
Ciampa represented Medford and Somerville for over 10 years, until last September's primary. He said the results of the election, in which he lost to Sciortino, do not accurately reflect the feelings of his ex-constituents.
In his opinion, many people thought September's primary was not important and simply figured they could cast their vote for him in November.
Ciampa told The Medford Transcript that he has gotten nothing but positive feedback and plans on doing heavy campaigning in the coming weeks.
In response, Sciortino said voters had already made their choice in his favor with their full support and he expects his success to continue.
"I'm in full campaign mode," Sciortino told The Transcript. "The voters supported me because they wanted change. I expect to be elected for representative of our community."
--Compiled by Daniela Perdomo from The Boston Globe, The Somerville Journal and The Medford Transcript.
