Wow. That may best sum up the reaction by many attending Friday’s ribbon cutting at the NuMI Off-Axis Electron Neutrinos Appearance far detector building on Ash River Trail.
Simply understanding what will take place at the $238 million facility is overwhelming. But what is clear is, as International Falls Mayor Shawn Mason said, the world will benefit from the knowledge gained by the project, while local communities will benefit from the economic impact.
Some might say that spending that kind of money during a downtrend in the national economy is foolish.
We say that gaining a better understanding of the mysteries of the universe is very much worth it. Who knows what impact the data gained by the neutrino detector will bring? This kind of information may unlock advances that will affect our world and the people who live it in ways we can only now imagine.
Clearly, the laboratory brings many opportunities with it. We can envision local high school and college students spending time at the laboratory learning about science and how it plays a role in all that we do. And they may find out, as Marvin Marshak, director, NOvA laboratory noted, science is fun.
People from across the world who will be drawn to the laboratory will likely learn more about the local communities and attractions around the facility. That means more people using our airport, restaurants and lodging facilities.
Voyageurs National Park may also gain notoriety and visitors when people come to the neighboring facility. Who would have imagined 20 years ago that a wilderness-based national park and a one-of-a-kind advanced technology science laboratory could live in peace next to one another?
Welcome to the scientists, students and officials that will work and make their way to the laboratory. They will become a valuable part of our community.
