Why physicists tried to put a ferret in a particle accelerator

[kposehn]

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/felicia-ferret-particle-accelerator-fermilab.html

[arvinsim]

As someone who doesn't have a physics background, I thought they were putting an animal in the accelerator at first glance.

[handrous]

I don't suppose it was... to ferret?

Reads article

Yes.

TL;DR to pull string through the whole thing so they could clean out little metal shavings using a mop or foam or whatever attached to the other end of the string, which they'd pull through after the ferret. So it was driving out—or ferreting—the metal shavings.

[notum]

To get the metal slivers out. You're welcome.