Smallest particle accelerator in the world!

As far as technology goes, miniaturisation seems to be the order of the day, and now it has come to the world of particle acceleration. These tiny nanofabricated silica chips – just three millimetres (0.12 inches) in length – have been used by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University scientists to speed electrons up ten times faster than traditional tech allows. Although there’s still a lot more research to be done, it’s hoped this could herald much smaller and cheaper particle colliders as well as more compact X-ray equipment.