The Large Hadron Collider

[Comrade Anarchist]

The L.H.C. comes on at the end of may. This will be used to smash particles into each other to try to recreate the conditions right after the big bang. It will help us understand some of the greatest mysteries we face in science like what is dark matter and it may help in the discovery of the god particle. But many of have claimed that it will create a black hole or some other idea.

I think that this is a big push forward into the unknown but what is your stance.

[Revy]

From Wikipedia:


In the run up to the commissioning of the LHC, Walter L. Wagner (an American botanist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanist) and former radiation safety officer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_Safety_Officer), as well as an original opponent of the RHIC), Luis Sancho (a Spanish science writer) and Otto Rössler (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_R%C3%B6ssler) (a German biochemist) have expressed concerns over the safety of the LHC, and have attempted to halt the beginning of the experiments through petitions to the US and European Courts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_of_particle_collisions_at_the_Large_Hadron_ Collider#cite_note-CosmicLog-2September2008-0)

It's funny that none of these guys are actually physicists, one's an effing botanist, another's a biochemist, and one's a "science writer".

[pastradamus]

The LHC is fascinating. I orignally disagreed with it based on its price but when I heard that it enables us to study further sub-atomic particles than I agreed. This is the kind of stuff cancer-curing vaccines are made of.

[S.O.I]

if the world is obliterated, will this thread ever have existed?

[Dóchas]

the chances are like 1/100,000,000,000 arent they? ill take those odds ;)

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

There are particles that impact the Earth with more energy than used in the LHC. There's no danger of the world ending.

[Jazzratt]

I really do not like the ignorant paranoia that has come to surround the LHC mainly thanks to the tabloidesque fear mongering one encounters on the internet. I have more of a chance of my dick being bitten off by a badger by several orders of magnitude.

[apathy maybe]

I really do not like the ignorant paranoia that has come to surround the LHC mainly thanks to the tabloidesque fear mongering one encounters on the internet. I have more of a chance of my dick being bitten off by a badger by several orders of magnitude.

That's only 'cause you are a sicko who goes around trying to mate with them :p.

Seriously, the whole hype about the LHC is silly. It isn't going to be the end of the world (that's been and gone, September last year http://qntm.org/files/board/current.png (http://qntm.org/?board)).

Oh, and also, while it is awesome, it isn't actually so awesome if you go and look at it. Really, thinking about it is more awesome.

[choff]

the chances are like 1/100,000,000,000 arent they? ill take those odds ;)

Not if you watch Fox News. They've been citing some science teacher that's calling it a 1/2 likelihood that it will end the world, based on "It will either happen or it won't happen. That's 50%."

I voted "no" for much of the same reason it seems the other twenty-three people here did so far. The people working on the LHC state a one out of some astronomically high figure that it will end the world, if the potential exists at all. The people running around crying about the sky falling are the same people I find myself disagreeing with at every other crossroad, so I see absolutely no reason in lending merit to their points.

[Catbus]

It's funny that none of these guys are actually physicists, one's an effing botanist, another's a biochemist, and one's a "science writer".

Is there any opposition from physicists? I tried looking for some, but quit when I found this;




[The LHC is] vital if the human race is not to stultify and eventually die out.
The world will not come to an end when the LHC turns on. The LHC is absolutely safe. If the collisions in the LHC produced a micro black hole - and this is unlikely - it would just evaporate away again, producing a correctoristic pattern of particles.
Collisions releasing greater energy occur millions of times a day in the earth’s atmosphere and nothing terrible happens. The world will not come to an end when the LHC turns on.

[TheWaffleCzar]

It really is fascinating. I cannot wait to learn all it has to teach us.

[Sarah Palin]

Not if you watch Fox News. They've been citing some science teacher that's calling it a 1/2 likelihood that it will end the world, based on "It will either happen or it won't happen. That's 50%."

I voted "no" for much of the same reason it seems the other twenty-three people here did so far. The people working on the LHC state a one out of some astronomically high figure that it will end the world, if the potential exists at all. The people running around crying about the sky falling are the same people I find myself disagreeing with at every other crossroad, so I see absolutely no reason in lending merit to their points.

The Daily Show had that professor. The comedian asked him why it would end the world. He said, "simple statistics. It either will or it won't." I'm no expert but I don't think thats how statistics work. . .

[Glenn Beck]

Lots of NWO propaganda in this thread.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g7KcbMxmLEU/R5E2Yk_YZ4I/AAAAAAAADFY/_m0pJ7oocXI/s400/TinfoilHat.jpg

At least Nibbles believes me...

[Black Sheep]

It is scary..




to see that 4 people have voted that they think the world will end. :huh:

[Il Medico]

The entire black hole argument is just an excuse from religious zealots who are afraid of scientific progress, not that this experiment could prove that god doesn't exist or anything, they are just idiots.

[BOZG]

Is there any opposition from physicists? I tried looking for some, but quit when I found this;

Hawking's fairly biased in this! :P If his theory on Radiation is wrong, we're fucked. :P


Though seriously, it's even more interesting to read some "lay" people's opinions on the LHC is newspapers and magazines. They react to the fact that a small number of scientists have raised concerns and objections to the LHC and completely dismiss the position of the vast majority of scientists who are in favour of the LHC.

[GPDP]

Large Hardon Collider?

Where do I sign up?

[BOZG]

http://largehardoncollider.com/

[S.O.I]

http://largehardoncollider.com/

haha