Your World This Week, May 1 – 7

By All That's Interesting | Edited By Savannah Cox
Published May 2, 2016
Updated May 1, 2016

Weasel Manages To Shut Down $7 Billion Machine

Weasel

Flickr

This week, a weasel took on the world’s most powerful particle accelerator — and won.

On Thursday night, a weasel wandered into the Large Hadron Collider’s transformer, causing an electrical outage and an unexpected shutdown for the $7 billion machine, Christian Science Monitor reported.

The weasel is apparently somewhat common in the Swiss countryside — where the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) houses the collider — is found.

5 Events To Know About This Week

Bin Laden Death

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House. Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images

  • May 2, 2011: Osama bin Laden killed during Pakistan raid.
    • Kent State

    Kent State shootings. Flickr

  • May 4, 1970: Kent State protest against President Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia results in the death of four university students.
    • Napoleon Bonaparte

    Wikimedia Commons

  • May 5, 1821: Napoleon Bonaparte dies on the island of St. Helena.
    • Alan Shepard

    Wikimedia Commons

  • May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
    • Sigmund Freud

    Wikimedia Commons

  • May 6, 1856: Sigmund Freud is born in what is now Příbor, Czech Republic.
    • author
    All That's Interesting
    author
    All That's Interesting
    Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
    editor
    Savannah Cox
    editor
    Savannah Cox
    Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.
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