What’s a guy got to do to get some live TV coverage of a gigantic atom-smasher that could destroy the world? This morning, I searched the tube in vain for a little coverage of the CERN collider starting up in Switzerland—CNN? Discovery? G4 network?—but except for a little web video, nada.
I realize, of course, that this is probably not that telegenic an event: we’re talking subatomic particles, people operating a giant machine and data that may not be intelligible for some time. But so what? We’re able to dedicate entire swaths of cable bandwidths to plenty of hurry-up-and-wait nonevents: endless jawboning over an election two months off, live walkups to live coverage of pro sports drafts, the preshow to the Oscar-preshow preshow—why not show science news a little love? (This goes for coverage of NASA probe landings as well. I don’t care if we’re waiting for pictures from across the solar system. This is 2008! I expect to see video, dammit!)
Am I missing something? Is there a better online source? I suppose the best option now is to wait and search for more video online later. Of course, if the thing manages to generate a giant planet-eating black hole, that’ll be a little too late.