Half the boom better than no boom at all

The LHC will collide protons at half energy this fall to start collecting data instead of waiting to complete all repairs

When the world’s most powerful atom smasher attempts a second inaugural switch-on this November, it will be pulling its punches. The Large Hadron Collider, housed underground at CERN on the border between Switzerland and France, will begin its long-awaited first run at half of full energy, and will not reach its full potential until after 2010, CERN has announced.