CERN chief calls for more mega-science projects at Mumbai documentary premiere
CERN Director-General Mark Thomson, in Mumbai, advocated for more mega-science projects and highlighted the Future Circular Collider's potential.
Mark Thomson, Director-General of CERN, used his visit to Mumbai to make a case for expanding the scale of global scientific ambition. Speaking at the India premiere of the documentary 'The Peace Particle' at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research on Monday, he said the world needs more mega-science projects to push the boundaries of knowledge.
During his address, titled 'Particle physics: today and tomorrow', Thomson outlined CERN's roadmap. He noted that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the 27-km particle accelerator that led to the discovery of the Higgs boson, was officially shut down on June 29, 2026, and will remain offline until 2030. A four-year pause is planned to build a more powerful version, the High-Luminosity LHC, which will be ten times brighter and offer greater discovery potential.
Looking further ahead, Thomson described the proposed Future Circular Collider as a visionary project. This new 91-km ring, expected to be operational by 2045-48, would collide electrons and positrons in its final stage. While it has not yet been approved, CERN anticipates a positive decision by 2028. Thomson framed the project as one for all of humanity, not just particle physics, pushing the limits of technology, innovation, and imagination.
He also pointed to unresolved mysteries in physics, such as the universe's matter-antimatter asymmetry, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the weakness of gravity, as questions that future colliders could help answer.
On India's role, Thomson praised the country's technological strength and young talent, saying CERN is keen to explore how India can be part of its future. He credited CERN's success to deep international cooperation, noting that the World Wide Web was invented there as a byproduct of fundamental research.
Alex Kiehl, director of 'The Peace Particle', called the LHC the largest machine built to search for the smallest particles, and acknowledged India's central contribution to that effort. Producer Elin Rhys added that the documentary reflects the spirit of international collaboration in the name of peace.