Is the particle collider at CERN going to be the end of us?

[Linas]

CERN has announced that the first attempt to circulate a beam in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will be made on 10 September. Will they create a black hole that will destroy the universe??? What do the TB physicists think?

[Jonyak]

I hope so.

[Techmonkey]

nah, they're not attempting to divide by zero or find the higgs boson yet. they're just doing a test run I think.

I'm actually genuinely excited to see physics featured so prominently in the news though. Whilst I've given up hope of being a nuclear physicist, I still think it's importance is huge... and it's great to see non-physicists actually interested in it too.

[Brad Barker]

no.

i am so supremely confident that the LHC isn't going to kill humanity that, if it should, i will personally pay each and every one of you ten dollars.

[TheXym]

Robert Sawyer wrote a pretty interesting novel called "Flash Forward" based upon a what-if regarding the collider tests at CERN. I don't want to give the story away, but it was a pretty good read

[Gard]

Originally Posted by Brad Barker

no.

i am so supremely confident that the LHC isn't going to kill humanity that, if it should, i will personally pay each and every one of you ten dollars.

I'll double you up, and pay each and every one of you $20.



....the whacks are coming out of the woodwork now, aren't they...wonder how they'll react when they REALLY start using the thing!

[moomoocajoo]

No.

It is not going to happen.

[TallLankyBastyd]

Q: Why are quantum physicists so poor at sex?
A: Because when they find the position, they can't find the momentum, and when they have the momentum, they can't find the position.

Q: What did one quantum physicist say when he wanted to fight another quantum physicist?
A: Let me atom.

A neutron walked into a bar and asked, "How much for a drink?" The bartender replied, "For you, no charge."

[Gard]

Originally Posted by TallLankyBastyd

Q: Why are quantum physicists so poor at sex?
A: Because when they find the position, they can't find the momentum, and when they have the momentum, they can't find the position.

Q: What did one quantum physicist say when he wanted to fight another quantum physicist?
A: Let me atom.

A neutron walked into a bar and asked, "How much for a drink?" The bartender replied, "For you, no charge."

GEEK!!!!



(Funny, I love physics humor!)

[EricF]

Originally Posted by TallLankyBastyd

Q: Why are quantum physicists so poor at sex?
A: Because when they find the position, they can't find the momentum, and when they have the momentum, they can't find the position.

Q: What did one quantum physicist say when he wanted to fight another quantum physicist?
A: Let me atom.

A neutron walked into a bar and asked, "How much for a drink?" The bartender replied, "For you, no charge."

My wife would soundly smack my upside the head for jokes like that.

[Tsal]

I trust that people who have spent decades studying this stuff know it better than I do.

Then again, if you could choose, would you rather die of a heart attack sitting in a rocking chair, or in a freaky particle experiment gone wrong that ends up devouring half a solar system?

[Thunderscreech]

Black Holes need a mass larger than our sun to form properly. Some nerds with a giant electromagnet will not create a black hole.

I don't care how big it is, if you don't have the mass behind it you can't do anything with it.

However, the particle collider could open up an alternate universe where Fall Out Boy is nonexistant, and the world is ruled by bassists...that would be nice.

[Flintlock]

Nope.

I personally, retain my cynical side. It may discover some new very very small bits of dust, at best. A big flop. Making the world's biggest horseshoe magnet.

[jazzy grille]

I'd be more worried about a zombie invasion.... Led by zombie Fidel.

[jazzy grille]

Originally Posted by Flintlock

Nope.

I personally, retain my cynical side. It may discover some new very very small bits of dust, at best. A big flop. Making the world's biggest horseshoe magnet.

It still won't be as useless as the $365 Million LIGO facility, which has done/observed nothing since it opened.

[Baryonyx]

No, but it may generate so much online boredom the internet breaks!

[Phantopeth]

I've been following this periodically for months now, and I had been thinking of checking back up on its progress lately. Much to my surprise, as I stood in line at the Post Office today, I checked CNN.com on my phone and the LHC was the headline story! I think that's pretty cool.

I highly doubt the LDC will be the end of the world, but I ain't never been no smaht physician, never, so what do I know?

[DudeistMonk]

I think the chances of them blowing up the world are like 1 in 1,000,000. The black hole will come into existence and then disappear, or not appear at all.

On a related topic you guys think think they will uncover the god particle? or will they be breaking particles with bigger and bigger accelerators for the next few hundred years before realizing that there is always something smaller?

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Originally Posted by Gard

I'll double you up, and pay each and every one of you $20.

Now you're talking! I'll add $2.50 each.

[I am Domokun]

Originally Posted by jazzy grille

It still won't be as useless as the $365 Million LIGO facility, which has done/observed nothing since it opened.

$365 million lego facility?!