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Sep 9, 2008 01:11 PM | 74
Heads up, science fiends and night owls: The greatest science experiment ever built is set to switch on at around 3:30 A.M. Eastern time tomorrow.
After 14 years and $8 billion, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) plans to inject the first beam of protons fully around the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the circular particle accelerator 17 miles (27 kilometers) long straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva.
It will most assuredly not destroy the world.
What it will do is help researchers answer some big questions about the universe—why particles have mass; what dark matter may be made of, and why matter survived its brush with antimatter when the universe was young.
The LHC will accomplish all that by producing high-energy particle collisions—600 million per second—for detectors to scan for rare but telling debris. (See our special report, The Large Hadron Collider: Countdown.)
CERN estimates that in six to eight weeks it will steer the first proton beam into a head-on crash with a second beam circulating the other direction, for a combined energy of 10 trillion electron volts (TeV) per collision. The lab plans to shut down the accelerator for the winter in mid-November and prepare it to restart next year at its full energy of 14 TeV.
Scientists by now are sick of reiterating that they would not have built such a machine if they had the slightest fear that it would produce microscopic black holes capable of destroying the world. Nor do they appreciate the death threats.
Here's a list of LHC events around the country.
Image credit: CERN
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74 Comments
Add CommentWell, at least the post apocalyptic gear is already here:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://fiendfolio.blogspot.com/2008/09/are-you-ready-for-impending-apocalypse.html
I WOULD LIKE TI GET MORE INFO.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is no chance of the earth getting sucked into a black hole because if my calculations are correct it will only be microscopic and will evaporate within a matter of seconds
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnyone no where i can get a radioactive switch from because i need one for my current experiment....... before you ask i am currently on a cloneing machine, will never work i no but it will soon i will fill you in as it goes on
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi think this experiment is pointless, even if this fact that the earth wont be destroyed, i still believe on my theories and my work, that this can still be catastrophic! i see no point of continuing with the LHC and i think we should wait until or technology and resources are more advanced so we can control this project more and determine the outcome instead of making assumptions!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy particles have mass?... Because they just do.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy idiots have to waste time and money?... Because they do.
Why can't McDonald's get my order right?... Because they can't.(I Digress)
Why are scientists so interested in how we came about and not more concerned with how we can continue to go about in our existence.
8 Billion dollars would help a lot of suffering. We were lucky that we did not ignite the atmosphere with atomic weapons. If a strangelet happens and is catastrophic, "Sorry, we miscalculated" isn't going to cut it. Mr. Hawking, with all due respect, I will punch you in the head, and the rest of you.
Here's hoping for thursday to come without screaming, and that I'm an idiot and the scientists aren't
These fries I didn't order are delicious
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOkay, I wouldn't really punch you in the head Mr. Hawking, but I would give you a frowning of a lifetime...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's almost fun reading the comments of people who know nothing about this. Almost... Mostly it's depressing. Look at it this way, doom sayers, even if your fevered nightmares come true and the entire earth is sucked into a teeny weeny black hole, THERE WON'T BE ANYONE LEFT TO GIVE A CRAP. So, why not get a jump on the not giving a crap? I suspect these are the same people who made the "cities in flames" predictions before "Y2K." Every time we fire up a new collider, we learn a little bit more, I can't wait to see what we learn from this one!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think it would be more exciting if the Higgs Boson is not discovered. Then we would have to rethink all the equations in physics. unless of course mass is an illusion, or string theory is correct.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a great opprotunity to explore the unknown. That my friends, is what science is all about.1
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a great opprotunity to explore the unknown! That, my friends, is what science is all about!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a great opprotunity to study the unknown! Thats what science is all about!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a great opprotunity to study the unknown! Thats what science is all about!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisscientist are a bunch of shit heads which have never seen a vagina before and they need to see one if they wana end our world cuz its our freaking damn world not theirrs who the fuck says these fucks can destroy us our world with what permission man answere that u freaking turds of science u possibly think our world is gonna get sestroyed and why the hell continue the gay project huh we wana see our sons and daughters grandsons grow up unlike ur freaking scientist which have no damn woman or kids and wana see damn neutrons and crap Screw u guys shut it down u have no fuckin right to danger our life u turds we choose what happends and if it does come to an end u best hide man cuz the world will be after You scientist for killing our world
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPersonaly i think that god will be pretty pissed and smite us down because it will prove he isnt real :P also preechers will be pretty peeved aswell (25 years wasted) haha
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood luck Lynn, from Frank James
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPersonally i think that gd will smite us down... getting to clever for our own good :P plus preechers will feel pretty upset to hear that they have wasted years of there life reading from the bible and telling others
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood luck Lynn, I shall be thinking of you and remembering how we shared a bottle of white wine in Bois CHATTON a rather long time ago.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHeaven preserve you from the fate of the booster when it was supposed to start up, with the DG and 4 rows of "VIPS" around the racks. The "experts" then had a lousy QV and QH setting which caused resonance and beam blow up. Fortunately Frank Sacherer and a few others worked it out for them by burning the candle late into the night without getting any thanks!
Ok, not to put a spanner in the works, but these scientists do not truly understand the power of the atom. Looking for The Higgs that may or may not exist confirms the theory that they have not got a clue what is going to happen when these particles collide.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSplitting the atom was cool was it....... Dismantling it ????????
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am ready no matter what happens....I tire of the constant bickering and fighting anyway. Peace and love will prevail in my world.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisfirst of all its pathetic reading all your comments, you people who know nothing of theoretical physics think you know what si going to happen, and even if the world is sucked into a black who is to say a black hole destroys what os in it all we know is a black hole compresses the fabric of space and time so stop complaining about how were all going to die cause even if something did happen (and it wont) it might not destroy the earth. we may get sucked into a different parralel universe or something tho.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am curious as to why the universe in all its splendour and its beginnings are of such interest to us. Why not just believe that we are, the universe is and everything in it will continue to be regardless of how it was made?! This does seem like an enormous waste of money when there are others desperately needing food, water, shelter, etc... However, I find myself strangely compelled to find out what happens. Heres hopin we dont all get turned inside out by a blackhole or a complete particle explosion that evaporates our oceans and kills us all. Good luck science types, yet again, our lives are in your hands.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGrim Reaper - what are you 12 or something?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiseverybody calm down. tommorow is only a test run with out particles being collided. they wont be having collisions till later later.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEverone calm down. tommorow is only a test run. there will be no collisions till later later.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswe should just report Grimm reaper as abusive.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thismy theory is that the will be no black holes instead. An atomic explosion of large proportions. large enough to throw enough dust into the atmosphere to block out the sun thus creating the first nuclear winter.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI belive that there will be no black holes. Instead a nuclear explosion large enough to create the first nuclear winter
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispopeye, do you have any concept of how science works? First the experiment, then the knowledge. If we knew the outcome we wouldn't need to do the experiment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSW you just don’t have a clue. Stick with your thoughts on McDonalds, sounds more your speed. I don’t know why you bother reading a science magazine if a satisfactory answer to you about anything is, “because it just does…” One of the stupidest comments I’ve read and that’s saying something.
Come on people; before posting your opinion on a subject please do your homework. Read a book (two books is better, one for and one against)! If you really think that reading a headline or someone’s paranoid rantings on their blog gives you real insight into a subject you are not only extremely ignorant but also dangerously naive. To quote WKRP, “It’s bad luck to take advice from insane people.”
The hypothesis you should distrust the most is the one you find easiest to believe. It will be the one most likely to mislead you.
Can anyone tell me what BENEFITS can be achieved by this new knowledge, if in fact here is new knowledge that comes from this experiment? Also, even if there is a minute chance of cataclysmic failure, are those benefits worth the risk to an entire civilization?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLike you're an expert!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHas anyone seen my dog?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi THINK ITS greeeat
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLETS BLOW UP THE WORLD!!!!
nah oj...
I dont think it will work anyway so ...
Seamen Willstain is wrong...scientists do this because they are bored and are done with their xmas pressies. GET BACK TO THE TELESCOPE GUYS!!!!
Peace :D
I can't see anything usefule or good comming out of this except rewriting alot of science books...We did this with atomic chain reactions and you see what that produced..The nuclear weapons, arms races, the ever growing risk of a terrorist attack with a nuke...all because of one "science project" just like this one..it is already fact that anti-matter in small quantity can produce an explosion bigger than any nuclear weapon we have in the world..Also fact is is the collection and transport of anti-matter becomes stable the US government will be the first build a bomb out of it and any one who argues will be on the AXIS of Evil hit list in D.C....Black holes should be the least of the concerns because the grim reality of the most agressive country in the world who cries like a baby who can't have its candy will want this project for one purpose and one purpose only...their war machine.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI hope they make discoveries and not kill us all..it would be wonderful to further science past the dark ages and theories and have concrete facts on how things are created. But the teams really need to be careful and not sell the project to ANY world government for military applications.
I agree with my namesake!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is an opportunity to take technology and understanding of science to another level. If we are to continue evolving and understanding scientific mysteries, we can progress. As these experiments are causing so much non-sensical arguement, it is potentially going to disprove the myths and prove that science has the answers and not the brick-wall arguement where some people do not have the answers and put it down to the 'God delusion'....
I love the little Tacos...I love em' good..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh I am so excited about being alive for one of Science's big steps! I missed out on Darwin, Da Vinci and all great geniouses and now I am alive to see one hell of a great experiment. Wish all the people involved lots of luck (ah ironic as luck has probably nothing to do with it!) and all the success and hopefully we will learn much from this!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRegards
S
Oh I am so excited about being alive for one of Science's big steps! I missed out on Darwin, Da Vinci and all great geniouses and now I am alive to see one hell of a great experiment. Wish all the people involved lots of luck (ah ironic as luck has probably nothing to do with it!) and all the success and hopefully we will learn much from this!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRegards
S
I think that we need some rational thought here! This is a scientific experiment and therefore fundamental to the working of our lives and all the critics will probably realise that when our understanding is improved, we evolve! It can improve our understanding and have lots of human benefits and hopefully disprove all the naive fools who must forget that we wouldn't be where we are today without experimentation and the knowledge achieved by it....... I'm not surprised that religious groups are up in arms about this, as it is another example to expose holes in the man-made religious theories and provide evidence that we are created by science & evolution not by mythical beings....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood luck the scientists. Rational & logical people support you and are extremely excited by this!
Oh I am so excited about being alive for one of Science's big steps! I missed out on Darwin, Da Vinci and all great geniouses and now I am alive to see one hell of a great experiment. Wish all the people involved lots of luck (ah ironic as luck has probably nothing to do with it!) and all the success and hopefully we will learn much from this!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRegards
S
Good point...why hasn't the all powerful Vatican put a halt to this..?? Kinda funny really..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMaybe its time to move on in science and find some new stuff to read and do instead of watching the celebraties in rehab and fake reality shows on TV...
If it blows we win because we did what no other things around us in the universe as wwe know it has done.....it it dosent...we win still and get to play another day...if we find weird stuf that proves the king james bible wrong in aspects...so be it..its time to preach some new sermons in church anyway...the whole hell fire and brimstone thing is really wearing thin these days...
tell me detailed about it pls pls
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI Dont See Why People Are Messing Around With The Earth? Its Realy Stupid And If The World Did End I Hope That The People Who Have Created It And Who Made It I Hope They All Go First!! Leave It Alone It Was'nt Made To Be Messed With !!! Your All Sad!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYOU FUKIN RETARDS FUKING WITH THE WORLDS PHYSICS YOU NEED TO CLOSE THE EXPERIMENT OF BEFORE YOU KILL THE FUKIN LOT OF US YOU STUPID TWATS IF I EVER SAW THE PERSON BEHIND ALL THIS I WOULD SHOVE HIS HEAD US HIS ARSE
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGet Ova It S! Ur Sad Dnt Be Fuckin Excited We Are All At Risk!! Sad Arse!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisvery fine.. is there any working model of the lhc..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI too agree, religious ideas are in todays times merely a stumbling block that seems to obstruct truth & reality. Science is the only way forward out of the dark ages & the sooner that is realised, the better. I don't want to bang on about religion as it's always a sore & highly controvertial subject but it is profoundly flawed & convenient when it suits.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll people who are against the experiments should really question the facts & not buy into the ramblings of the other doubters so soon.....Either way it's going to happen & perhaps the findings may actually save their lives & that of their loved ones.
ps. ABZZ, if you can't say something sensible, don't bother saying anything at all. your own ramblings are sad & show your ignorance to discovery. If you look at your everyday life, it's dependent on science, it's just that now the bar has been raised and you may inevitably benefit from such experiments. Only time will tell.... & if i'm wrong and also the greatest collective minds of science, then your mis-placed rants may have credibility....But i sincerely doubt it!
I may not have much knowledge about Physics, but don't you think this could porve alot? It could also lead to so mch more. It would be nice to KNOW not belive in something, so I think this is a work of genius and I hope we can learn alot from this Latest collider project.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't know much about Physics, but I think its better to KNOW something exists then simply beliving it dose. Besides, this would also lead to much more. I think its a noble, If a little unwitting, expriment that may shape a new era for us all. I will certainly follow this through the entire experiment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishiggs boson is the thing which i was interested to know coz.. it will explain everything.. all the religious goofed up stories will end and one religion.."science" will rule.. am waiting for this moment. good job Mr. Hawking
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHa I'm sure people have said that this or that new scientific discovery will end religion many many times before. Religion isn't going away. People desperately want to believe in something.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTake for instance all the people who seem to believe that the world is about to end because of a few particles colliding in a controlled environment.
In short religion is stubborn because people are dumb, stubborn and easily led.
Well, I believe in God, and am so damn excited to see what this LHC reveals! Don't tar us 'religious folk' with the same brush... we don't all 'blindly' believe, but believe because we have thought long and hard about the options! Believing in God doesn't mean you discount science... I'm fascinated by what's going on and by what science reveals.. I just see it as a further look into the crazy miracles and detail of creation! So go scientists and particle physicists... I'm on the edge of my seat and 'whoop-whooping' on switch-on day:-) And no, the world's not gonna end.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswell bassically the only people i think who have written on this page which arent just nerdy little twats would have to be myself and seamen willstain. nice name btw. u complete bunch of geeks... i mean, prof D market, ARE U SOME KINDA FUCKIN JOKE? Honestly u actually think any1 believes u know wat u r talking about. ur pathetic, granted, i bet u think im pathetic about writing abuse on your nerd site but i think you can see my point. actually Professor Prick, i bet your so brilliant at what you do that ya mumma is really proud and ditched your dad so that you could have perversed sex with ur fat indian mother. cock!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiskatie i like the anger, its nice.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisnats....you are a bible basher, stop fucking preaching
a lot less than the US spends each month on Iraq.,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWho cares about how earth forms? I Know that we all live here on earth and that's the most impotant thing. We have too much to worry about like global warming, animals in danger, people dying of hunger and wars and so much things going on in here that we can't be worrying about some stupid machine that scientist doesn't know what is capable to do looking for some more problems to worry about or even destroy what they want to know more about it. Why don't use all the money spend in this kind of stuff and feed people or cure children in different part of the world that they need and so easy to cure but their country is too poor that they can not afford for those people to be cure of stupid deseases like a simple stuff that in usa can heal with a pill or vacine is incredible that people are so headless and don't care about those things that really are important and just thinking if everything goes well i will get the nobel prize, WHO CARES ABOUT STUPID PRIZES WHEN PEOPLE ARE DYING
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJeff. T.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust a truckdriver, but thoughly fastinated by this. To think of all the posibilities of getting questions answered, finding new properties of various matters, they new ways we could use that matter for energy, new structural properties in construction. \The posibilties are endless. Go Science!!
As a truckdriver I'm fascinated by all the possibilities that this machine will open up. New types of matter, particles, and new ways to use them. Maybe a way to use energy more efficiently, or new sources of energy. New ways to make the structural components we use stronger, lighter, safer. The possibilities are endless. Go Science!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispsyvrm why would u ask my age??? whywould u care im 20 so wtf do u care about life huh do u i guess not i wana live and see my grand children alright if ya want death comfront him face him and tell him these shit heads are a pair of mad sick fucks who wana destroy the earth alright get that through ur freaking head man sry for speaking like this but i do wana see my sons daughters or my grendchildren grow not these nerdy shit heads destroy OUR earth that belongs to each and every human on it alright not only theirs and not theyr fuckin choice u know something scientist are freaking bunch of shit heads that want to prove evry impossible shit ok tell me this why would us spend $533 million if they know the fuckin crisis in the wolrd huh everyone has no freaking jobs and paying 533 mills to create a damn huge dildo? to prove wat there's life and were the hell does a balck hole go to huh those 8+billion of dollars could have helped the damn fuckin economy instead of that damn vibrating dildo they created u know what i have to say people lets just pray to god OUR fuckin earth dosent get destroyed by these shit heads big bang cannot be shot theyr gonna create big bang #2 possibly ending the world yayayayaya we killed earth now we die also wow u proved ur fuckin death beautiful all for nothing huh how does that sound man??? sounds like the world is pissed at these freaks.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswhat do you mean believe in something. i think that everybody believe in God if not why always when something bad happen the first thing they say is oh God...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisokay, fair enough... we were wrong, i didnt think our planet would blow up or get sucked into a black hole, steven hawking knows what he is talking about, but i still think we shouldnt get ahead of ourselves! not yet! although i watched this happen on tv and it was impressive, but still, i suppose we have learnt something... dont listen to the media, they are a load of crap!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisokay, fair enough... we were wrong, i didnt think our planet would blow up or get sucked into a black hole, steven hawking knows what he is talking about, but i still think we shouldnt get ahead of ourselves! not yet! although i watched this happen on tv and it was impressive, but still, i suppose we have learnt something... dont listen to the media, they are a load of crap!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishow the shit is this pointless? really?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisy
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't understand, no matter how much of a risk we're taking at doing this why take any chance. Why does it matter? What are we going to do even if everything does turn out ok? I could care less what i'm made of or how i'm here. The fact is that we are here and we should spend it trying to stay here.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd even for this who want this to go on, Why do you have to take the rest of us down with you. We did nothing to deserve this.
j
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI don't understand, no matter how much of a risk we're taking at doing this why take any chance. Why does it matter? What are we going to do even if everything does turn out ok? I could care less what i'm made of or how i'm here. The fact is that we are here and we should spend it trying to stay here.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd even for this who want this to go on, Why do you have to take the rest of us down with you. We did nothing to deserve this.
A part of me wants the LHC to destroy the world... On second thought, I just want it to destroy the people who think it's going to destroy the world.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI assume you're one of those people who doesn't leave the house because you're afraid to get hit by a bus or die in any sort of horrible ways that have a higher probability than being swallowed by a black hole created by an LHC. Too bad you can always die from carbon monoxide poisoning or having a toaster fall in your bathtub while you're washing up. I think you could always join up with the Amish though, they don't have electricity so you wouldn't have to worry about either of those...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet me guess... you are from either Alabama or Mississippi right? I guess you could be from Idaho or Wyoming too, but it would almost certainly have to be a state that doesn't teach grammar, spelling, or science. Good luck with your future endeavors, and I'll have my sub toasted, thank you very much and no, I don't want to make it a meal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet me guess... you are from either Alabama or Mississippi right? I guess you could be from Idaho or Wyoming too, but it would almost certainly have to be a state that doesn't teach grammar, spelling, or science. Good luck with your future endeavors, and I'll have my sub toasted, thank you very much and no, I don't want to make it a meal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWOW. Most of these comments make me embarrassed to be a human being. Critical thinking and problem solving are supposed to be man's crowning achievement but these comments really challenge that notion. Anyone with any forsight or education for that matter knows that the modern world is built on physics applied by engineers. New knowledge means new technology and thus an increased probability of survival. Physics is applicable and an essential part to "continu[ing]... in our existence" (as one bright individual commented). My advise is to study the history of science for some perspective. Otherwise shut up. You are just an embarassment to yourself and man-kind all together.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this