Science: Bringing Countries Together
Science: Bringing Countries Together
Governments in the Middle East are talking about a new particle accelerator named Sesame, which, they hope, will be functional by 2015. Sesame will be the first particle accelerator in the Middle East. Countries as opposed as Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Iran and Israel are all involved. How amazing is it that this scientific community is ignoring political issues and joining together? Even better, their governments are supporting them.
The name Sesame stands for Synchrotron Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East. “Open sesame” is a reference to the famous book and Disney movie Ali (Aladdin) Baba and the Forty Thieves, from which this name comes from as well. Sesame is an apparatus for accelerating subatomic particles to high velocities by means of electric or electromagnetic fields. This basically increases the speed and energy of protons, electrons, or other atomic particles, and directs them at atomic nuclei or other particles to cause high-energy collisions. Sesame will be used by researchers to study everything from viruses and new drugs to the workings of a star and the understanding of the atomic nucleus.
Sesame has backing from several Arab nations. These include Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Iran, and, astonishingly enough, Israel. Even when the Iranian government has been publicly committed to Israel’s end and Israel has threatened to bomb Iran, both of these countries have pledged to provide more funding to Sesame. Also, news officials have witnessed these scientists having friendly, lengthy discussions on Sesame and its progress. In spite of the political sensitivity, the project has already been opening new doors of communication. So greatly in fact, that the idea of the project of Sesame being commissioned is now an actual possibility. Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, a British physicist and the governing council of Sesame, said “Science is a common language. If we speak it together,
Governments in the Middle East are talking about a new particle accelerator named Sesame, which, they hope, will be functional by 2015. Sesame will be the first particle accelerator in the Middle East. Countries as opposed as Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Iran and Israel are all involved. How amazing is it that this scientific community is ignoring political issues and joining together? Even better, their governments are supporting them.
The name Sesame stands for Synchrotron Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East. “Open sesame” is a reference to the famous book and Disney movie Ali (Aladdin) Baba and the Forty Thieves, from which this name comes from as well. Sesame is an apparatus for accelerating subatomic particles to high velocities by means of electric or electromagnetic fields. This basically increases the speed and energy of protons, electrons, or other atomic particles, and directs them at atomic nuclei or other particles to cause high-energy collisions. Sesame will be used by researchers to study everything from viruses and new drugs to the workings of a star and the understanding of the atomic nucleus.
Sesame has backing from several Arab nations. These include Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Iran, and, astonishingly enough, Israel. Even when the Iranian government has been publicly committed to Israel’s end and Israel has threatened to bomb Iran, both of these countries have pledged to provide more funding to Sesame. Also, news officials have witnessed these scientists having friendly, lengthy discussions on Sesame and its progress. In spite of the political sensitivity, the project has already been opening new doors of communication. So greatly in fact, that the idea of the project of Sesame being commissioned is now an actual possibility. Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, a British physicist and the governing council of Sesame, said “Science is a common language. If we speak it together,