Nothing That Matters

Due to leak in Halogen in one of the super magnets, the LHC (Large Hadron Collider)was being shut down initially for two months. But now it appears to be a generic problem with the magnets and the shut down will be till spring of 2009. Why it needs such a shutdown? Remember the LHC tunnel and the magnets operate at near absolute Zero temperature i.e. -272^oC.
It takes two weeks for the whole apparatus to be regain heat to normal temperatures for the machine to be touched at all. Then after rectification of magnets, it will need two more weeks to cool the apparatus to near absolute Zero.