Swiss may end world with re-created "Big Bang" (seriously)

[underpants]

Big bang machine 'absolutely safe'

19 hours ago

Scientists insist the most powerful particle accelerator ever built is "absolutely safe".

Concerns have been voiced over the £5 billion Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which will be switched on this Wednesday.

The machine, to be based underground on the Swiss-French border, will smash protons - one of the building blocks of matter - into each other at energies up to seven times greater than any achieved before.

In the flashes from the collisions, they expect to reproduce conditions that existed during the first billionth of a second after the Big Bang at the dawn of creation.

Professor Otto Rossler, a German chemist from a group of scientists mounting a last-minute court challenge to the project, has expressed worries about the creation of black holes.

Scientists believe microscopic black holes might be generated in the machine. But according to the predictions, they will blink in and out of existence before anything scary happens.

Prof Rossler believes it is quite possible that the black holes made in the LHC will grow uncontrollably and "eat the planet from the inside".

But Particle physicist Dr James Gillies, a spokesman for the project, said: "We have received a lot of worried calls from people about it.

"There's nothing to worry about, the LHC is absolutely safe, because we have observed nature doing the same things the LHC will do. Protons regularly collide in the earth's upper atmosphere without creating black holes."

The experiments could help scientists find answers to some of the biggest questions in physics, such as why the universe looks the way it does, and how to explain mass, gravity and mysterious "dark matter".

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJlBbJVKcIbLyH0VBswS1rM-ntTw

[dysfunctional press]

1. "to be based"??? if they're going to turn it on wednesday, shouldn't it be built first?

:shrug:

[underpants]

3. (frazzle haired scientist pulls scraps of paper out of his lab coat)

Yeees yees I am vorking on VIS!!!!

[eShirl]

4. not if it warps time

:sarcasm:

[Phred42]

55. If it warps Time can we go back and stop Bush from being born?

[yardwork]

59. In that case it would be worth the 7 billion dollar price tag.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. lol! I caught that too. All other indicators in the article say that it is already built.

[Windy]

19. I've been there... in May... its built. Its fantastic too!!

Incredible medical and technical discoveries have already been made.

And FYI.. there has been an accelerator in operation at Fermi Lab in Chicago for years!

[Marrah_G]

26. Oh cool- I am so jealous!

I love this stuff. So fascinating.

[crimsonblue]

36. to be fair

the one at CERN is much much more powerful than the one at Fermilab.

[Windy]

79. Yes it is, but the safety measures that have been taken and the monitoring are incredible. nt

[Dammit Ann]

2. Finally.

Who knew it would be the Swiss?

[underpants]

5. Exactly

that was my reaction when my wife told me about this (it was on the Today Show)

The SWISS!?!?! Christ we have been bombing the wrong people all these years!!!! :grr::mad:

[Call Me Wesley]

34. Headline has changed to:

"Switzerland raptures the world, sick of neutrality, fires up Big Bang." ;)

[CTyankee]

66. In a way it makes sense. They've been left alone to tinker about

with things. Kinda weird, I know, after all the centuries of France, Italy and Spain being so productive with art, but maybe they needed "down time"...

[LostinVA]

17. If you knew my wife's grandmother, you'd know it would be the Swiss

[berni_mccoy]

27. They are good at building Time Machines

And pocket knives. Can't tell which one this is yet.

[Captain Sensible]

7. It's a big lie..........

..Sarah Palin told me herself that God created the universe just 6000 yrs ago...........

All this big bang stuff is a bunch of hooey.

[lovuian]

33. I'm ConCERNED

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=qd7_GdfhjyQ

I hope they know what they are doing

[yorgatron]

41. i like this video better...

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=T3iryBLZCOQ&feature=related

edit for spelinng

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Very Kurt Vonnegut.

Which story has the Tralfalmadorian pilot. . . wait! Slaughterhouse Five, right?

[shadowknows69]

10. Are they working on Ice Nine too?

[Marrah_G]

14. Next on the list is anti-matter and the warp drive

Otherwise the Vulcans will never come and visit :(

BUT............ That is a few years down the road since my son plans to be the one to do that! (or work for Stargate Command, stationed on Atlantis)

[shadowknows69]

18. If he needs any help

I have geek credentials dating back to the mid seventies.

[Marrah_G]

25. Hehehe

Geeks rule !

He's trying to get into WPI- Aerospace engineering on a rotc scholarship.

[jmowreader]

22. Anti-matter? That's been done.

The Tevatron at Fermilab uses it--it collides protons with antiprotons.

[Marrah_G]

24. But not in enough quantity for a warp drive !

[jmowreader]

28. True dat.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

37. That's technically correct.

The best KIND of correct!

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/05/futurama_0601_wideweb__470x330,0.jpg

[spin]

47. self delete

[ThomWV]

9. What silly silly shit ...

[shadowknows69]

11. It's not the research that worries me

It's the boneheads (probably military boneheads) that will use the technology later.

[Indenturedebtor]

12. This isn't a technology so much as using existing tech with more energy and different particles

This is aimed at a fundamental understanding of how the universe works. It's not like some great new laser or bomb.

[shadowknows69]

13. Give them time. They'll figure out some way to kill stuff with it

Particle acceleration weaponry has been a staple of science fiction. Even Big Ronnie's Star Wars was playing with it weren't they?

[Indenturedebtor]

20. They may have been... but lasers are basically particle weapons

And the tech to accelerate the protons isn't what's so exciting or groundbreaking about this whole thing. It's seeing what happens when you do it. They've been working on this for about 25-30 years! So while I'm sure they've learned alot along the way, they basically knew how to build this proton gun 30 years or more ago.

However, the possible massively increased understanding of particle physics may lead to some nasty and/or wonderful stuff in the near future!

[NeedleCast]

42. Sooooooo, your argument is we shouldn't do any scientific research

because it could later be used in weaponry?

That's a good call....

[PVnRT]

65. Dude, we can change the world with our good VIBES, man...

whoa...

[Marrah_G]

15. I find it all very exciting !

[WillyT]

16. Cool... I Have A Couple Of Bills I'll Hold Off Paying This Week

:evilgrin:

[BlueJazz]

21. ...Plus it makes one Hell-of-a Popcorn popper.

:)

[jmowreader]

23. I thought the fundies WANTED the world to come to an end

It's surprising that the people who are doing everything they can possibly think of to bring about the end of the world, including genetically engineering a solid-red heifer so they can sacrifice it, are so up in arms about this. Won't this machine bring Jesus back?

Actually, it MIGHT--he'll go to CERN, look at the LHC, and think to himself, "this is really cool."

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Concerns About Black Holes?

A physicist filed that suit? Black holes require significant mass, even micro black holes. A few protons won't have the mass to create the gravitational distortion to be an issue.

That physicist should recant his degree.
The Professor

[cobalt1999]

31. It was a chemist that filed the suit.

Physicists know how silly the whole lawsuit is.

[Dorian Gray]

30. Wow.

It's like Angels and Demons in real life.

Crappy book.

Interesting experiment.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. Anybody remember the "Unsinkable" Titanic? Whoops!

[bean fidhleir]

39. Yep. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are in the air aboard the first fully-automated passenger flight

ever flown. We fully tested everything and we assure you that nothing can go wrong ...go wrong ...go wrong"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

35. Sarah Palin doesn't like science either.

She tries to ban books, which is essentially the moral equivalent of people trying to stop this collider.

[Xenotime]

38. This is why the Mayan calendar ends on 2012.

Because of some dumbass experiment of man.

Why not take the £5 billion and actually do something good with it....like fight world hunger.

[NeedleCast]

45. So scientific research = bad?

Falt earth board is that way ------>

[Zhade]

71. OH MY FUCKING LACK OF GODS - are you serious?

You should be fucking embarrassed to spout that pseudoscientific bullshit in public.

[NeedleCast]

40. Some people's lack of scientific understanding is staggering

Including you.

[ourbluenation]

43. It's been a pleasure knowing you all. n/t

[orestes]

44. Maybe ending the world

will finally put a dent in the number of Palin threads here.

Wouldn't bet on it, though.

[underseasurveyor]

46. Isn't human kind funny

So arrogant are we (not us of course;-) ) that we think we can contain the forces of the birth of the universe in an underground machine.

Well as they said, since there's nothing to worry about, here's to us :toast::smoke:

[spin]

48. My grandson told me he wasn't going to school tommorow...

He said he didn't want to be in math class when the world ended.

[BrotherBuzz]

49. Does this mean the lifetime guarantee on my Swiss watch will be void after Wed?

:shrug:

[Cleita]

50. The upside is....

that we don't have to worry about the election after all.

[donco6]

51. Can they wait until Nov 5?

I need to know if I should be upset or not.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

62. Caribou Barbie being elected Veep will make the universe implode

Bank on it.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

52. Black hole, my ass...

OH, yes, pun definitely intended... :rofl:

An accelerator is the ONLY thing that can stop a Terminator.



Imagine how many the new one can stop- this is a GOOD thing! Take THAT, Skynet!

[The Stranger]

53. Oooooo, I've got a bad feeling about this . . .

[MazeRat7]

54. I'm jealous, that's one project I would like to be part of....

To quote one rather famous physicists...

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds".

Peace,
MZr7

[BlueInPhilly]

56. Since Switzerland is 6 hours ahead...

What time should I get out of bed to wait for the end of the world? Never mind, wake me up when it's over.

:boring:

[RagAss]

57. Release the Holes !!!!!

[NoPasaran]

58. If the world has to end someday

This might as well be the reason instead of an argument over how many provinces Georgia should possess.

[Firespirit]

60. As a misanthrope, I am not bothered by this prospect.

Go science, go LHC, and go protons. If the 0.000000000001% chance of The End of the World comes to pass, at least it will have been by a well-intentioned science experiment instead of war or global warming.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

61. I remember one time on the Simpsons, Dr. Frink assured everyone they would be safe from something...

.....then he said "Oh, wait.....I forgot to carry the 3....we're dead."

[Dukkha]

63. As long as they remembered to carry the 1

or else bad news everyone!

[PVnRT]

64. I give up

Scientific illiteracy has taken over, and the media exploits it. It's not worth the fight anymore.

Amazing that when I was an engineering student, I had to take a bunch of humanities courses so I could be "well-rounded." I wonder when we're going to start making the liberal arts students take something other than freshman science survey 101 so they can be "well-rounded" too.

[Johonny]

81. I agree

[symbolman]

67. If they create a black hole that eats up the earth

from the Inside out, swallows it whole, I'm going to be SO PISSED...

[yodoobo]

68. If that happens I'm gonna be really pissed

I want to see how LOST ends.

[mdmc]

69. k/r

bring it on

[Heidi]

70. 7:32 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 and

everything's fine over here (so far). :hi:

[Angleae]

72. If the world ends, at least I won't have to go back to work.

[adamuu]

73. no one will be around to care. n/t

[LeftishBrit]

74. If the world ends soon, it won't be because of this experiment!

Some people in the media are altogether too ready to whip up FEAR FEAR FEAR.

Fear sells newspapers after all!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

75. Not A Chance.

The ignorance some display is astounding.

[Thothmes]

76. Sound sorta like the

Manhattan project managers taking bets that whether the first A bomb test at Alamagord, would set the atmosphere on fire.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

77. here are some more fun ways to destroy the earth

http://qntm.org/?destroy

for your review...

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

78. looks like we survived phase one

of the nefarious plot to destroy the earth...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/10/lhc.collider/index.html

sP

[underpants]

80. Amazing what you can do with one of them knives huh?

:bounce:

[baldguy]

82. No, the world actually *DID* end.

This is a parallel universe that's almost the same.

[Dukkha]

83. we were transported back in time

to when Internet BBS has no graphics. see?