The End of the World planned for tomorrow...

[Sir Speedy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7604293.stm

"Three decades after it was conceived, the world's most powerful physics experiment is ready to be powered up.

On Wednesday, engineers will attempt to circulate a beam of particles around the 27km-long underground tunnel which houses the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The £5bn machine is designed to smash particles together with cataclysmic force, revealing signs of new physics in the wreckage.

This will re-create conditions in the Universe moments after the Big Bang."

No, I don't believe it'll end either... Should be interesting seeing what results it produces, though... Besides, if push comes to shove:

Gordon Freeman to the rescue!

 

[Bullitt]

**** Gordon Freeman... What's Norman Wisdom doing there?

 

[Sir Speedy]

Maybe he's the irl equivalent of Gman? =O

 

[getofmeland]

Having spoken to someone who is involved with the project, the chances of it doing something it shouldn't, like create a black hole... More interesting was the way they created it... An Engineering Masterpiece, considering the depth and temperature the LHC needs to be at as well...

When building it the hit a problem when they discovered a underground lake, so rather than just move it (cos they couldn't get land anywhere else to do it) They froze the lake and went straight through it, using the equipment which dug the Channel Tunnel...

The guy I was speaking to was saying its an absolute Geek Fest over there, with more PHD's Flying around than anywhere else in the world... These are the worlds brainiest people...

 

[An Tarbh]

I saw them talking about this on Mock the Week, obviously the most reliable source of information on the subject but the point raised was valid, if there is even the most minuscule chance of something seriously wrong happening then why do it in the first place.

I also found the scientists involved in this who were rebuking the claims of this German bloke to be rather condescending, the German is just dismissed as some nutter even though his credentials in this area are likely to be as strong as those in Switzerland messing about with this toy, but there you go.

Sure the world was supposed to end with the eclipse in 1999 but nothing came of it.

 

[steynboi]

i dont feel like dying. So there going to try and blow the world up LOL. good luck ill be james bond and shoot them

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I'm sure nothing bad will happen, but there were black holes created seconds after the big bang surely? That's everyone's concern.

 

[steynboi]

where are they planning to do this? do it somewhere like afghanistan.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

It's taking place in Switzerland. This little package should answer all questions:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/

 

[BLR]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Sep 10 2008, 02:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I'm sure nothing bad will happen, but there were black holes created seconds after the big bang surely? That's everyone's concern.[/b]

The universe was basically gas and nothing else for a long long time after the big bang, black holes are usually creating by the collapse of mass, so I don't think so but don't quote me on that...

The thing people don't realise is that a black hole can only have the same mass of the thing that collapsed and that tiny black holes pass through the Earth all the time. So let's say that somehow a black hole is created, which is highly doubtful, it is only created using the mass of a proton, it's power would be so minimal that it wouldn't have any affect whatsoever.

 

[C A Iversen]

And should be destroyed by the (theoretical) phenomenon of Hawking radiation.

 

[BLR]

An update on this situation.

http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/

EDIT: Reading an article atm here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/158075

The part I find most interesting: 'It's fundamental, rather than practical, knowledge that researchers are after, as well as a suspected new particle called the Higgs boson (dubbed "The God Particle" for its potential to answer the most basic questions about existence, such as how anything came into existence)' This could essentially complete the puzzle, previously the time before the big bang was simply a time where the laws of science broke down, yet if it can be proved how the original matter came into being then basically the belief of a creator is crushed. Maybe the detractors are religious and realise the danger this could cause? But that's neither here nor there.

 

[C A Iversen]

Nothing can eliminate the belief of a creator. Whatever the states that existed before the big bang, those states are always going to be argued as possibly created. Any level you go back to can then be followed up with the question, "How was that state created?".

Nothing can destroy the creator philosophy,

 

[Goth Power]

What a load of old cod-swollop!

Well, at least if anything happened I'd be at work so Yippee!

 

[BLR]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (C A Iversen @ Sep 10 2008, 12:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Nothing can eliminate the belief of a creator. Whatever the states that existed before the big bang, those states are always going to be argued as possibly created. Any level you go back to can then be followed up with the question, "How was that state created?".[/b]

And what is this experiment solves that question? Remember we are talking about discoveries which would change scientific thinking forever.

 

[C A Iversen]

Very cogently reasoned there Goth Power, I'm sure people on both sides of the debate are now enlightened.

 

[C A Iversen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BLR @ Sep 10 2008, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (C A Iversen @ Sep 10 2008, 12:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nothing can eliminate the belief of a creator. Whatever the states that existed before the big bang, those states are always going to be argued as possibly created. Any level you go back to can then be followed up with the question, "How was that state created?".[/b]

And what is this experiment solves that question? Remember we are talking about discoveries which would change scientific thinking forever.
[/b][/quote]

It's a paradoxical question though. There is always going to be the "so who created that" answer from creationists.

 

[jawmalawm24]

Couldn't they have just come up with a computer program to emulate the damn thing instead of spending $5 billion to try and blow us all up silly idiots. I hope something at least happens to all of them that are involved like they grow 3 eyes or something.

I think some things should just be left alone and even if they do find out how the universe was made it's not like we've got the technology to go explore. We can't even get on the moon yet just visit it and than come back to earth again yay.

So what happens if something does go wrong does the rest of the world just say 'go to timeout you've been bad' or do we just all sit back and state the obvious and say 'well that didn't work aye'.

 

[C A Iversen]

However unlikely, if something does go wrong, it has a very small chance of going monumentally wrong. No-one will be around to question anyone. However this is all highly unlikely. I just wish they didn't bother with this and concentrated instead on things involving less power and money. We can't change anything though, so I guess we wait and see.

First beam is about to circulate in 35mins or thereabouts.

 

[Steve-o]

Let it ride! When they gonna fire that baby up?