A SCIENTIST from Bolton, involved in recreating the Big Bang, has spoken about the excitement, tension and nerves surrounding the groundbreaking experiment which started yesterday.

Dr Paul Jackson, who is originally from Bromley Cross, is one of thousands of scientists taking part in the project at a futuristic laboratory in Switzerland.

The experiment at the CERN (European Council for Nuclear Research) laboratory in Geneva aims to recreate the conditions that brought about the creation of the universe.

Scientists will carry out a series of controlled particle collisions 100 metres below the surface of the earth in a 27km long tunnel known as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Yesterday, the world’s media descended on the site as the first beams of sub-atomic particles, called protons, were sent around the LHC.

Dr Jackson, whose passion for science was first ignited at Turton High School, said: “It has been very tense this week. We have had meetings every day to make sure everything is working properly and that everything is safe. You can see the nerves on everyones’ faces.”

Yesterday morning, Dr Jackson sat in the main auditorium at CERN with his fellow scientists, to watch as the collider was powered up.

He added: “There was standing room only. When the first beam went all the way around the ring, people’s tension turned to excitement and relief.We were cheering and applauding.”

The first collisions are planned to take place in coming days, as beams are sent in an clockwise and then anti-clockwise direction. It is a gradual process. Eventually, scientists will send two particle beams in opposite directions around the tunnel and will study what happens when the particles collide.

The project has sparked a frenzy of media interest all over the world. Dr Jackson added: “It’s fantastic that people are interested. I hope it excites younger people and gets them interested in science.

After leaving Turton High School with A-levels in physics, chemistry and maths, he went to Lancaster University to study physics and cosmology.

steven.thompson@thebolton news.co.uk

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