LHC Shutdown Caused by Small Mammal Sabotage

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was taken offline overnight after engineers discovered a gnawed-through power cable and charred remains of a small mammal near the fault. The interruption occurred while the collider was preparing to collect new data on the Higgs boson.

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The LHC is a 17-mile superconducting machine costing about $7 billion. Operated by CERN, the device collides protons at near-light speed and confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson in 2012. Researchers had been planning to extend Higgs measurements and search for additional, undiscovered particles.

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CERN, the organization that runs the LHC, coordinated the investigation. Arnaud Marsollier, CERN’s head of press, provided details about the incident and the projected repair schedule.

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• Night of the shutdown (reported 29 April 2016): power failure identified, animal remains recovered.

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• Immediate response: engineers began repairs, estimating a few days to restore basic power.

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• Full operational readiness: projected for mid-May, pending completion of all safety checks.

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• Length: 17 miles.

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• Construction cost: $7 billion.

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• Prior wildlife-related incidents: a bird reportedly dropped a baguette onto critical systems in 2009; raccoons damaged a particle accelerator in Illinois in 2006.

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CERN officials indicated that the electrical fault was “pretty sure… caused by a small animal.” Preliminary analysis suggested the creature was “a weasel, probably,” while a briefing document noted the animal “may have been a marten.” Engineers confirmed that repairs would take several days, with full collider performance expected by mid-May. CERN emphasized that such wildlife intrusions are not unprecedented given the rural location of the facility.

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The shutdown delays the planned collection of new Higgs-boson data. No formal criticism of CERN’s infrastructure management appears in the source material.

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Sources differ on the animal’s species: initial statements identify a weasel, while an official CERN briefing suggests a marten. No further forensic analysis is reported, leaving the exact identification unresolved.

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• “We had electrical problems, and we are pretty sure this was caused by a small animal,” — Arnaud Marsollier, Head of Press, CERN

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• “a weasel, probably.” — Arnaud Marsollier, Head of Press, CERN

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• “It may be mid-May,” — Arnaud Marsollier, Head of Press, CERN

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• “We are in the countryside, and of course we have wild animals everywhere.” — Arnaud Marsollier, Head of Press, CERN

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CERN plans to complete repairs by mid-May and resume data-taking for Higgs-boson studies. The collider’s restart will enable continued searches for additional particles that could expand current understanding of fundamental physics.

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