This website was a great one-stop-shop to many of the questions one could have about this amazing particle and anti-particle making machine down at Stanford. The News Release put sent out in May 1999 was a easily-read overview of what they are setting out to do, all of the global help that has gone into it, and the MILLIONS of dollars it has cost. What can I say? WOW! I really feel like such a non-scientist. I am intimidated and wide-eyed at the idea of this machine. I really don't understand it all, but I think it's awesome that other people do! I can see that this is monumental for many scientists: one described the observation of a "new massive particle" as "a very beautiful result."
This was the most helpful summary for me:
"It is thought likely that in the first moments after the big bang there were equal amounts of matter and antimatter produced. If they had stayed equal, then the Universe today would be very uninteresting because all the matter and antimatter would have disappeared by the process: matter + matching antimatter = radiation
...so no galaxies, no stars, no planets, and no people would be around today!"
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