GENEVA – Dr. Mark Thomson, set to be the next director-general of Europe’s Cern physics laboratory, has voiced strong support for advancing plans to build the Future Circular Collider (FCC), which would surpass the scale of the existing Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Speaking during a press conference on Nov 7, Thomson called the FCC “the right option for Cern, the right option for science,” confirming his commitment to pursuing this ambitious project during his tenure beginning in January 2026.
The LHC, a 27-kilometre underground ring where protons are smashed together to unravel cosmic mysteries, famously facilitated the discovery of the Higgs boson, or “God particle,” enhancing scientific understanding of how particles gain mass. With the LHC expected to retire by 2040, Cern is exploring the 91-kilometre FCC, estimated to cost about US$17 billion.
Thomson emphasized the importance of ongoing feasibility studies and called for building a robust consensus based on scientific merit. His predecessor, Dr. Fabiola Gianotti, also supports the FCC, underscoring its potential to push the boundaries of particle physics.