- 19 hours ago
Deep underground in China sits a massive spherical structure that looks like a sci-fi portal, but it’s actually one of the world’s most advanced physics experiments.
This huge facility, called the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory or JUNO, is buried about 700 meters below the surface to shield it from cosmic interference.
Its mission is to detect neutrinos — the elusive “ghost particles” that stream through everything, including your body, by the trillions every second.
By studying how these particles behave, scientists hope to uncover clues about why matter exists, how the universe evolved, and whether our current physics models are missing something big.
And in this video, you’ll explore why JUNO could become one of the most important discoveries in the quest to understand the universe’s deepest mysteries. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
This huge facility, called the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory or JUNO, is buried about 700 meters below the surface to shield it from cosmic interference.
Its mission is to detect neutrinos — the elusive “ghost particles” that stream through everything, including your body, by the trillions every second.
By studying how these particles behave, scientists hope to uncover clues about why matter exists, how the universe evolved, and whether our current physics models are missing something big.
And in this video, you’ll explore why JUNO could become one of the most important discoveries in the quest to understand the universe’s deepest mysteries. Animation is created by Bright Side.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en
Stock materials (photos, footages and other):
https://www.depositphotos.com
https://www.shutterstock.com
https://www.eastnews.ru
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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00:01Hey, check out this huge construction. It isn't a time machine. Neither is it a portal to another dimension, even though it looks like one.
00:09This extraordinary machine, called the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory, or Juno for short, is hidden from the prying eyes 2,300 feet underground.
00:20It's designed to study one of the strangest and most mysterious particles in the universe, the neutrino.
00:25Often nicknamed ghost particles, neutrinos are incredibly hard to detect, but may hold key clues about the universe's biggest puzzles, including how matter formed and whether our current understanding of physics needs an upgrade.
00:41Neutrinos are subatomic particles produced in nuclear reactions, like those in the sun, exploding stars, and nuclear reactors on Earth.
00:49They're the second most abundant particles in the universe, after photons, the particles of light.
00:55Now, hold your hand in front of your face.
00:58Trillions of neutrinos are passing through it right now, without leaving a trace.
01:03They almost never interact with anything, not your body, not even a wall of lead, eight light-years thick wouldn't stop them.
01:10This makes them incredibly difficult to study.
01:13Neutrinos are also special because they don't behave like most particles.
01:16They come in three flavors – chocolate, strawberry, oops, I meant to say electron neutrino, muon neutrino, and tau neutrino – and can switch between these types as they travel.
01:28This behavior, called oscillation, is linked to their mass, and it's a mystery.
01:33No one knows exactly how much a neutrino weighs, or even which type is the heaviest.
01:38And that's where Juno comes in.
01:41It's designed to figure out the mass hierarchy of neutrinos, meaning the order of their masses.
01:46If scientists can manage to figure it out, it could help us solve some of physics' biggest puzzles.
01:53Juno is an enormous sphere, filled with 20,000 tons of a special liquid called a scintillator.
01:59Scintillating, isn't it?
02:01Okay, I'll stop.
02:02This liquid grows faintly when particles interact with it.
02:06Surrounding the sphere are 43,000 super-sensitive light detectors, which will pick up these tiny flashes of light.
02:13Why build it underground, you may ask?
02:16Well, cosmic rays and other background particles constantly collide with Earth,
02:20and they would overwhelm the sensitive detectors if Juno was built at the surface.
02:25By hiding it under hundreds of feet of rock, scientists can block most of this noise,
02:31allowing them to focus on neutrinos.
02:34Juno is also located almost 33 miles from two nuclear power plants.
02:39These plants produce tons of neutrinos, specifically anti-neutrinos,
02:44the antimatter counterparts of neutrinos, through the radioactive decay of uranium and plutonium in their reactors.
02:51By studying how these anti-neutrinos change as they travel to Juno,
02:56scientists hope to uncover the neutrino mass hierarchy.
02:58Now, here's what happens when an anti-neutrino interacts with Juno's detector.
03:05It collides with a proton in the liquid, creating a positron, the antimatter version of an electron, and a neutron.
03:12The positron immediately collides with an electron, releasing a burst of light.
03:18The neutron, meanwhile, takes about 200 microseconds to combine with an atomic nucleus,
03:23releasing another burst of rays.
03:26These two bursts of light, the first from the positron and the second from the neutron,
03:31are the key signal that a neutrino interaction has occurred.
03:35And that time gap between the two bursts helps scientists distinguish genuine neutrino signals
03:40from other background events, like cosmic rays.
03:43But even with this elaborate setup, Juno will only detect about 40 to 60 neutrinos per day
03:50out of the billions passing through it every second.
03:53So, to gather enough data to make conclusions, the experiment will have to run for several years.
03:59The goal is to record 100,000 neutrino events.
04:02Now, the thing is, our current understanding of the universe is based on the standard model of particle physics.
04:10And it has been incredibly successful in explaining how particles and forces interact.
04:15But the standard model has gaps.
04:18It doesn't explain dark matter, dark energy, or why the universe is made mostly of matter instead of antimatter.
04:26Neutritos might hold the answers to some of these mysteries.
04:29For example, the way they interact and oscillate could hint at new physics beyond the standard model.
04:37Now, Juno is a truly global project involving about 700 scientists from 18 countries.
04:43The experiment was first proposed in 2008 and has faced many engineering and logistical challenges.
04:50But, hopefully, it'll start working in 2025.
04:53After all, this $300 million investment in science and engineering
04:58could make groundbreaking discoveries.
05:01But Juno isn't the only scientific facility built to explore neutrinos.
05:06Deep beneath the Antarctic ice, near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station,
05:11lies IceCube, an enormous neutrino observatory.
05:15Imagine a detector the size of nearly a quarter cubic mile,
05:19entirely made of ice and equipped to spot neutrinos.
05:22It's the first gigaton-scale neutrino detector ever built,
05:26an immense scientific instrument hidden between 4,700 and 8,000 feet under the Antarctic surface.
05:33The main detector consists of over 5,000 digital optical modules,
05:38sensitive light sensors, which are attached to 86 vertical strings frozen into the ice.
05:43These strings are arranged in a hexagonal grid,
05:47with each string carrying 60 digital optical modules.
05:50Together, they form an enormous, three-dimensional array.
05:54When a neutron interacts with an atom in the ice,
05:57it can create a charged particle moving faster than the speed of light in the ice.
06:02This generates a faint blue glow called Cherenkov radiation.
06:06Scientists observe this light and can understand the energy, direction, and origin of the neutrino.
06:12One of IceCube's primary goals is to uncover the origins of cosmic rays,
06:17incredibly high-energy particles, mostly protons,
06:21that travel through space at near-light speeds.
06:24They can have energies millions of times higher
06:26than those produced by Earth's most powerful particle accelerators.
06:30Scientists believe they come from extreme cosmic environments,
06:34like supernova, black holes, or gamma-ray bursts.
06:37But, so far, their exact sources remain a mystery.
06:42That's why they deflect by magnetic fields as they travel,
06:45making it impossible to trace their paths directly.
06:49Neutrinos, however, aren't deflected or absorbed,
06:52so they carry unaltered information about their sources.
06:56IceCube is designed to detect these neutrinos,
06:59giving us a way to see cosmic rays' origins.
07:01Since it became fully operational in 2010,
07:05IceCube has already made some groundbreaking discoveries.
07:09It detected the first high-energy astrophysical neutrinos,
07:13proving that these particles come from outside our galaxy.
07:17In 2018, IceCube pinpointed a high-energy neutrino source to a blazar,
07:22a galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center,
07:26shooting out jets of particles.
07:27So, we've seen an observatory hidden underground,
07:32another one frozen into ice.
07:34How about a telescope built underwater?
07:37Deploying a telescope in space is already a big deal.
07:40But putting two of them deep underwater is a whole different challenge.
07:45Now, picture this.
07:46Scientists are on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea,
07:49spending weeks at sea braving rough waters and battling seasickness.
07:53They're not trying to study stars, they're after neutrinos too.
07:58The plan is to set up a giant underwater telescope in the Mediterranean,
08:03using light detectors that will be able to spot these minuscule particles.
08:07The cubic kilometer neutrino telescope is a huge project designed to catch them.
08:12It's going to cover a cubic kilometer of the Mediterranean with underwater detectors,
08:17basically turning part of the sea into one giant telescope.
08:21These telescopes don't look at stars.
08:24Instead of using lenses or mirrors,
08:26the telescope uses glass spheres that hang from long cables under the water.
08:31Think of it like a necklace of glowing pearls.
08:34These spheres are packed with sensitive devices
08:37that can detect the faint light produced when a neutrino crashes into water.
08:42These detectors are lowered into the sea one strand at a time.
08:45Each strand can be 2,300 feet long,
08:49and eventually there will be hundreds of these cables with all the sensors hanging on them.
08:54The goal is to make one of the biggest and most complex neutrino detectors in the world.
08:59The telescope has two parts,
09:01one off the coast of Sicily and the other off the south of France.
09:05The Sicilian telescope is focused on detecting high-energy neutrinos from deep space.
09:11Those are the really extreme particles created by things like black holes or exploding stars.
09:17The French telescope is going after atmospheric neutrinos.
09:21These neutrinos are a little different.
09:23They come from Earth's atmosphere
09:24and can help scientists study how neutrinos change forms as they travel.
09:28China plans on building a train that will connect mainland China to the United States.
09:37The track will start in the northeast region
09:40and then make its way through Siberia in eastern Russia.
09:45It will then go under the sea through the Bering Strait into Alaska
09:49in the U.S. through a 125-mile underwater tunnel.
09:54It will then flow across Canada's Yukon Mountains and British Columbia
09:59and finally to the United States.
10:02And once there, it can connect to every major train station in America.
10:07The total distance? Around 8,000 miles.
10:12This China, Russia, Canada and U.S. network
10:15was conceived in 2014 by a group of Chinese engineers
10:19who had a vision of a major transcontinental train track.
10:23They claim that if the project is built,
10:27then you will need just two days for a trip from China to America
10:31without having to go to the airport.
10:34A train ride is much smoother than a plane
10:37and offers people better opportunities to experience traveling near the ground
10:42rather than up in the air.
10:44And the trip itself can boost tourism across four countries.
10:48Even though a plane ride from China to the U.S. takes just 14 hours,
10:53depending on where you're coming from,
10:55anyone will get to experience the joys of looking out of the window
10:59and seeing yourself whisk through the land.
11:03This new rail system will be 1,800 miles longer
11:07than the Trans-Siberian Railroad,
11:09which is the longest railroad in the world.
11:12And the tunnel itself will be four times longer than the English Channel.
11:17If the project gets the green light,
11:19then it would cost a total of $200 billion.
11:23Building on the main surface won't be so much of a hassle
11:27and won't be as challenging as one would expect.
11:30But the tunnel in the Bering Strait
11:32will require many skilled and experienced engineers to construct it.
11:37And they have already figured out how they're going to do it.
11:40It will be divided into three levels with two-way traffic.
11:45The upper level will accommodate the high-speed trains,
11:48while the bottom level will be for the slow-moving cargo and passengers,
11:53while the middle level will be reserved for emergencies.
11:57The cargo train can move up to 100 million tons of cargo,
12:01which makes up 8% of the world's freight cargo
12:05between Europe, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and the United States.
12:12Passengers wanting to leave from Alaska to Russia and vice versa
12:16will only have to take a 20-minute high-speed train ride to their destination.
12:22The tunnel alone in the Bering Strait will cost around $35 billion.
12:28From start to finish, it could take anywhere between 12 to 15 years to complete.
12:34The project will involve many international firms and construction companies
12:39to help out with completing it.
12:41This could possibly be the most expensive project in history, if funded properly.
12:47And it has to be strong enough to handle the icy waters in the Bering Strait
12:52and the strong waves around.
12:55The China-Russia-Canada-America railway line
12:59would be the most expensive and ambitious megaproject in history
13:04and would take years to complete.
13:07But according to some resources,
13:09China is confident that they have the technology necessary to do something of this scale.
13:15It will change the transportation industry forever
13:19and increase tourism across all continents.
13:22If this project is going to be built,
13:25then it would be technically possible to travel from a train station in Portugal
13:30all the way to the United States.
13:33Europe has an impressive train network that's all connected to each other.
13:38From Eastern Europe to Central Asia,
13:41you could take a train from certain countries until you end up in China.
13:45For the past 20 years,
13:47China's speedy rail network has grown incredibly.
13:51It has the world's largest high-speed rail network
13:54that covers more than 23,000 miles.
13:58Based in Shanghai,
14:00it's also the fastest commercially operating train
14:04which reaches speeds up to 270 miles per hour.
14:08So, once in China,
14:10you can get on any train and speed off to wherever you want to.
14:14It will be the ultimate traveling experience
14:17to only travel by train from continent to continent.
14:22There won't be any need to travel by an airplane.
14:24So, if you have fear of flying, let's say,
14:27then this will be the perfect way for you to go by.
14:31But building train tunnels underwater isn't easy.
14:35The best engineers have to figure out all the risks beforehand.
14:39The Channel Tunnel, for example,
14:41is an underwater train that takes you from London to Paris
14:44in just two and a half hours of cruising speed.
14:47The train is highly equipped
14:49with the most advanced technology in the market
14:52to ensure comfortable travel.
14:55If you have any work to do,
14:57then you can just pop open your laptop
14:59and connect to the Wi-Fi.
15:00Want to take a break?
15:01Just head to the cafe for a quick drink
15:04and enjoy the lounge feel and the great beverages.
15:08And if you feel like watching a movie
15:10or catching up on your favorite TV series,
15:13then the train offers that too.
15:15You won't feel the time pass
15:17since you can just relax
15:18in luxurious leather seats in business premiere class.
15:23Train travels at around 186 miles per hour
15:27and is considered to be
15:29the world's longest underwater tunnel
15:31considering that most of it is submerged.
15:34The tunnel itself is 31 miles long
15:37and costs $6.3 billion.
15:41It began construction in 1988
15:44and was completed six years later in 1994.
15:48It was considered to be one of the seven wonders
15:51of the modern world
15:52in line with the Empire State Building in New York
15:56or the Panama Canal
15:58or the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
16:02And just like the China to U.S. dream project,
16:05this tunnel also has three tracks,
16:07two used for trains
16:09and a smaller one for emergencies.
16:11Each shuttle is 2.5 thousand feet long
16:15and needed 13,000 employees to construct it.
16:19Even though many people got to visit
16:21the City of Love in Paris
16:23and the Multicultural Hub of Europe in London,
16:27the channel is also used for import and export.
16:30According to some reports,
16:3226% of traded goods travel between the UK
16:36and the rest of the Europe each year using a tunnel.
16:40China approved the first underwater speed train
16:43from the port of Ningbo near Shanghai
16:45to Zheoshan,
16:48which is a group of islands on the east coast of China.
16:51The brand new railway will stretch for around 50 miles
16:55with a decent part of it built underwater.
16:58What makes it cooler
16:59is that the train will rely on a magnetic track
17:03where the train cabins will float in the air
17:06on the tracks and speed away.
17:08If this project becomes a reality,
17:10then it will most likely feel like riding in a royal carriage.
17:14You can book cabins and rooms
17:16with multiple bedrooms and accommodations.
17:18You'd be treated like a guest of honor at any ceremony.
17:22Constant entertainment and food are yours all day long.
17:26Ticket prices may vary,
17:28but still be expensive so not everyone could afford it.
17:32There's high-speed Wi-Fi, of course, in all areas
17:35with some of the best seats in the world.
17:37It will be possible to live in Europe
17:40and work in Asia without flying.
17:42Even living in Russia and working in Alaska
17:45can be a reality.
17:47And if you were in the US,
17:49you can also remain on the ground
17:50and still get to London via the network.
17:53And once you reach Europe,
17:55you'd have to take the train to Paris
17:57and then the channel to London.
17:59But there hasn't been any news on the project so far.
18:02It hit an economic wall
18:04and is still in the conceptualizing stages.
18:07Many critics didn't hold back
18:09on how this project could not revolutionize
18:12the transportation industry,
18:14but might instead sink it into more depth.
18:17They claim that cargo ships and flights
18:19are just as good and a lot cheaper,
18:22so there's no need to put such large amounts of money
18:25for something that maybe only a handful of people can use.
18:28Moving cargo through trains
18:30won't necessarily be as fast as planes or ships.
18:34If this train network replaces shipping and flights,
18:37then many people who work in aviation
18:40would have to change jobs and move on to trains.
18:44Of course, something like this wouldn't happen overnight
18:47and would probably take decades.
18:49This project might even open doors
18:52for countries in Asia and Africa
18:54to build mega-network speed trains
18:56all connected to each other.
18:59You might one day travel by train
19:01from South Africa
19:02all the way to the United States,
19:04passing through Africa,
19:06the Middle East, Central Asia,
19:08China, Russia,
19:09and eventually the U.S.
19:12And if the train network expands even more,
19:15it can reach all over South America,
19:17which would make your trip even longer.
19:19It could reach every continent in the world
19:22except Antarctica.
19:23Imagine a worldwide railway network
19:26of high-speed trains
19:27connected to every station on Earth.
19:32That's it for today.
19:34So hey, if you pacified your curiosity,
19:36then give the video a like
19:37and share it with your friends.
19:39Or if you want more,
19:40just click on these videos
19:41and stay on the bright side.
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