If you were to ask someone in Dallas about Desertron today, you would most likely be met by a blank look or be directed to the local comic book store. However, Desertron – or using its official name, the Superconducting Super Collider – was the American version of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research’s (Cern) Large Hadron Collider. It was located just outside Dallas but was abandoned in 1993 due to spiralling costs ($12 billion of new funding had been requested at the time) and poor management, swiftly falling into disrepair and for a while becoming a popular location for…

Read on for just €1

For a limited time, get your first month for €1 and unlock full access to The Currency and The Wall Street Journal – two premium memberships, one subscription.

Subscribe

Cancel at any time.

Are you already a member? .