Inside the world’s most ‘impossible’ science project

guest... Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:01 pm

Reporting assignments in the Middle East often involve great danger - think of Syria and Gaza. Others run into bureaucratic obstruction. But the Sesame science project in Jordan is so bizarre it presented challenges of a wholly unexpected kind.

The first was the sheer difficulty of grasping that the story was not the figment of someone's imagination but was actually happening.

.............................................................

The scenario goes as follows: take one of the world's most unstable regions, pick some of the countries that are most violently opposed to each other and then bring them together under one roof to do science.

The list of countries involved looks utterly improbable: it includes Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain and Egypt - so far so normal. But then add Iran and - amazingly - Israel too.

And they actually have to meet each other every year to discuss plans including the fraught question of contributions.

This is Sesame in a nutshell: an extraordinarily bold idea to plant a world-class science facility - a synchrotron light source - in the heart of the Middle East for researchers from anywhere from Cairo to Tel Aviv to Tehran.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20446971

scratch

Flap Zappa Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:29 pm

lets chuck the conspiracy hat in the ring and say the scientist assassinated in iran associated with this were killed by the iranians.

Guest Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:38 pm

This can only go well.

mattiducatti Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:30 pm

It is known that many nations across the world are connected and cooperate with each other on a number of levels behind the scenes although this is generally not publicised or broadcast as going on, while the image of dispute, disagreement and political wrangling is maintained.

And before we get ahead of ourselves with the politics and the 'who done what to whom and for what' type of stuff....

Shouldn't we first be asking what a 'synchrotron light source' is?

What it is for?

Why it is needed?

What the risks are?

What benefits it may have?

How much will it cost?

And a whole load of other questions???

guest... Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:37 pm

mattiducatti wrote:It is known that many nations across the world are connected and cooperate with each other on a number of levels behind the scenes although this is generally not publicised or broadcast as going on, while the image of dispute, disagreement and political wrangling is maintained.

And before we get ahead of ourselves with the politics and the 'who done what to whom and for what' type of stuff....

Shouldn't we first be asking what a 'synchrotron light source' is?

What it is for?

Why it is needed?

What the risks are?

What benefits it may have?

How much will it cost?

And a whole load of other questions???

Have not a scooby doo, but if like Cern were they have produced anti matter in small ammounts then that may be a tad of a concern, being as it is difficult to contain and one gramm used in a power source is enough to power New York for a day. God forbid if this was ever weaponised!

Flap Zappa Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:42 pm

mattiducatti wrote:It is known that many nations across the world are connected and cooperate with each other on a number of levels behind the scenes although this is generally not publicised or broadcast as going on, while the image of dispute, disagreement and political wrangling is maintained.

And before we get ahead of ourselves with the politics and the 'who done what to whom and for what' type of stuff....

Shouldn't we first be asking what a 'synchrotron light source' is?

What it is for?

Why it is needed?

What the risks are?

What benefits it may have?

How much will it cost?

And a whole load of other questions???

it seems to be used as a bloody big microscope

mattiducatti Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:45 am

So.....

"not a scooby doo"

And

"it seems to be used as a bloody big microscope"

Mmmmm, interesting......!

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