![The Large Hadron Collider uses superconducting magnets to smash sub-atomic particles together at enormous energies - CERN](https://www.gravel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/The-Large-Hadron-Collider-uses-superconducting-magnets-to-smash-sub-atomic-particles-together-at-enormous-energies.jpg)
This doesn’t relate directly to the North Fork, but it does contain a neat lesson about living with wildlife. Besides, the story was just too good to pass up . . .
A small mammal has sabotaged the world’s most powerful scientific instrument.
The Large Hadron Collider, a 17-mile superconducting machine designed to smash protons together at close to the speed of light, went offline overnight. Engineers investigating the mishap found the charred remains of a furry creature near a gnawed-through power cable.
“We had electrical problems, and we are pretty sure this was caused by a small animal,” says Arnaud Marsollier, head of press for CERN, the organization that runs the $7 billion particle collider in Switzerland. Although they had not conducted a thorough analysis of the remains, Marsollier says they believe the creature was “a weasel, probably.” (Update: An official briefing document from CERN indicates the creature may have been a marten.)