While we (USA) are here bickering about lipstick and pigs, Europe built a giant particle accelerator?

The two biggest news events I heard today was pigs, and particle accelerators. I've been listening to the news at work all day: In the US, it's about pigs and lipstick. And in Europe, it's about the world's largest particle accelerator potentially able to unlock the secrets of the universe. Is there anyone out there, and especially my fellow Americans, find this odd and disturbing? We are better than this, and Europe.