The Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, is a centerpiece of experimental particle physics located at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switzerland. Its construction began in the late 1990s, and the collider spans a massive 27 kilometers in circumference, encircling the Franco-Swiss border. The LHC is engineered to accelerate particles—specifically protons—to velocities approaching the speed of light, allowing scientists to collide these particles at energy levels never before achieved in a laboratory. This is critically important for studying fundamental components of matter, how they interact, and ultimately the forces that govern the universe.

Upon its first successful powering up, the LHC marked the beginning of an era aimed at discovering new physical phenomena, especially in the search for the Higgs boson, a particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics that gives mass to other particles. The project's ambitious goals include uncovering the secrets of dark matter, understanding matter-antimatter asymmetry, and probing into supersymmetry, a theoretical extension of the Standard Model. Hundreds of thousands of scientists, engineers, and university students contributed to its design and construction, emphasizing the collaborative nature of modern scientific inquiry.

The LHC’s first successful proton collisions occurred in late 2009, generating excitement in the scientific community worldwide. As it operated, the LHC has undergone various upgrades and maintenance periods, pushing the boundaries of our comprehension of nuclear and particle physics. The experiments conducted at the LHC are not merely academic in nature; they have the potential to address some of the most profound questions in science about the origin of the universe and the fundamental nature of matter itself. Its operation also serves as a testament to international scientific collaboration, with thousands of physicists from over 100 countries participating in the research.