Making tiny things go extremely fast is a monument to human enquiry and creativity

Sure, particle accelerators are sprawling, expensive technology that allow scientists unprecedented insight into the nature of matter, but how do they actually work? In this stylishly animated introduction to particle accelerators, the University of Oxford research scientist Suzie Sheehy details the basics of accelerator physics, including how not all accelerators are created equal, and why successfully launching a new accelerator is an occasion more than worthy of a champagne toast.