This Extremely Complex Mega-Machine Does Nothing But Study Plasma

So what do you do when you want to analyse plasma, that wacky fourth form of matter that possibly powers your beloved HDTV? If you’re at the Novosibirsk Institute of Nuclear Physics, you use this awesomely huge “plasma trap.”

The room-sized machine provides scientists with a safe way to study the gas-like stuff in a stable environment. Well, mostly safe—radiation in the room is extremely high, so dosimeters are required to make sure researchers aren’t hit with too much. Still! It must be a thrill to work with something so unbelievably large and powerful enough to necessitate a dosimeter in the first place. [English Russia]