Large Hadron Collider scientists receiving death threats

[Prrkitty]

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/39210/117/


-------------------------

Sept 10th is when they start doing some tests. I can understand being afraid... but threatening to kill those people doing the research?

Could it really make a black hole?

[The_Amaster]

Of course they can. The question is: is it dangerous? Absolutly not. Artificial black holes are predicted to be amazingly small, and last for a few microseconds before fizzling out. The energy to make an actual, sustained, large black hole is wayyyyyyy beyond any amount we could ever hope to achieve. Maybe if we blew up the sun or something.

[rock_nog]

If it were realistically possible to create a black hole that could endanger life on Earth, I suppose the protesters could argue that the scientists started the death threats, and they're only responding. As it is, it's absurd - we just can't generate that kind of power. Moreover, the kinds of high-energy collisions that will be investigated in the LHC occur in the upper atmosphere all the time - if a high-energy collision could create a stable black hole, we wouldn't be here to worry about whether or not the LHC will end the world.

[Aegix Drakan]

Honestly, I don't care how miniscule the odds are of a black hole forming.

It worries me. I mean... possible planetary annahilation? :( Scary thought.


BUT! I will admit that I was a bit misinformed. If they are using less power than the natural collisions that are already happening, than I guess it's safe.

...But man...I am crossing my ifngers that I wake up on the 11th...

...

oh noooo! Sonic chronicles is coming out at the END of september! :o if this goes sour, I won't have a chance to play it!!!


...Dammit, I wish I had never heard of this hadron collider. Then I wouldn't be so damn worried.


waaaait...you don't think that this has something to do with saint dane, do you? (Cookie if you get the reference!)

[The_Amaster]

*gasp* Aegix, you're right! This is how he plans to push Second Earth over the edge!

[Russ]

Guys, it's not that big of a deal. These things happed on their own in nature. But the moment scientists try to imitate it, everybody freaks out and yells, "Black holes will form!" Even if one does form, chances are it will be so small that it will evaporate due to Hawking Radiation before it engulfs anything.

[Aegix Drakan]

*gasp* Aegix, you're right! This is how he plans to push Second Earth over the edge!

Reference gotten. Dispensing cookie.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n112/absoldragon/Cookie.png

I LOVE that freaking series. I'm only on the second book, but DAMN, I can't put it down.


Ahem...*ONTOPIC* Well, even IF they are getting death threats, they're pretty safe. I mean they're underground somewhere in France. No one can really find them and kill them. ...unless of course, their device makes a microsized black hole, and then sucks them up before vanishing.

...oh gosh...that would be ironic... They make a black hole, and they are the only ones to die because of it.

[rock_nog]

Hmm... We need Beldaran in here screaming about how this is just another sign of the anti-intellectualism that's rampant in America caused by religion constantly shoving crap down our throats about how scientists always lie and cannot be trusted.

Okay, so that might have been an exaggeration, but certainly, people do seem to be awfully anti-science in this country.

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/08/lhc.collider/index.html

More specifics on the whole thing...

[Linkus]

The whole "end of the world" thing is blown out of proportion, namely for the fear of "black holes" and the perception that common people have about them. In fact, did we discover any black holes out in space so far? No, not yet, but there are assumptions (http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/971124b.html), and possible (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/supernova_blackhole_040610.html) findings (http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=4714). Do black holes even exist? Well, we might find out on the tenth, so you might as well wait with the rest of us.

Another thing about black holes is that they may have another end--white holes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hole). Whereas black holes act as a powerful vacuum, white holes expel possible matter and light out of it.

If they in fact have a black hole, it is only going to do much of nothing. It'll be too small to sustain itself, and only last a very small fraction of a second. If they want to do something with it, they should try sending this (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050313.html) out, since it would be a way to get information about us to other extraterrestrials with similar or more advanced technology out somewhere very far away, or in another dimension, or even another universe.

But otherwise, don't go to the hardware store and get your crowbars...yet. :tongue:

[AtmaWeapon]

I wish they were starting it on September 11th instead of September 10th. That way if anything goes wrong we can consolidate our tragedies.

Actually I hope it goes well but I forget what we're supposed to be doing with this thing anyway.

[The_Amaster]

*singing*
Hadron Collider
we do what we must, because we can
for the good of all of us
except the ones who will die
but you can't keep crying over every mistake
you just keep on trying, you will do what it takes
and a black hole gets made
and you call it a day
for the people who are
still alive.

[Majora]

http://www.xkcd.org/401/

And, now that religion's been mentioned: http://xkcd.com/459/
(sorta slightly relevant)

My view:

It's a fucking particle accelerator, people might as well get their panties in a twist over the sun colliding hydrogen to make helium.

[Aegix Drakan]

*singing*
Hadron Collider
we do what we must, because we can
for the good of all of us
except the ones who will die
but you can't keep crying over every mistake
you just keep on trying, you will do what it takes
and a black hole gets made
and you call it a day
for the people who are
still alive.

Oh my gosh...I just figured it out. THE HADRON COLLIDER IS A LIE! :o

[AtmaWeapon]

TIRED INTERNET CATCHPHRASE!

[The_Amaster]

I'm actually excited about this accelorater. I read in "The Elegant Universe" about the kinds of cool physics discoveries this could enable.

[Russ]

I personally can't wait for them to start it up. I want to see what this thing can do. And I want to see how the woried people react to it. :D

[Prrkitty]

Stephen Hawking speaks about the LHC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7598000/7598686.stm

[Aegix Drakan]

He has a 100$ bet going on that he's wrong? ...Well, we'll find out tomorrow I guess.


:P In the unlikely event this goes south, nice knowing ya'll.

/me dives into his bunker.

[bigjoe]

He has a 100$ bet going on that he's wrong? ...Well, we'll find out tomorrow I guess.


:P In the unlikely event this goes south, nice knowing ya'll.

/me dives into his bunker.

Umm.. isn't it just going to be a test tommorow? I mean, a system check, with the intent of determining whether it works?

[Modus Ponens]

I love Stephen Hawking! He's so rad.

[rock_nog]

Stephen Hawking always bets against himself, to ensure that it's a win-win situation. Really, it's a very enlightened way to look at things. If he's right, sure he loses $100, but come on, what's $100 to unlocking one of the mysteries of the universe. And if he's wrong, well sure, science is set back, but at least he gets $100.

EDIT: Oh, and while we're on the subject...
"Ode to the LHC"
O! Prometheus of mass,
We come to unchain thee
Not with key, nor torch, nor saw
But a circus of relativity.
Hadrons colliding,
A sudden stable stranglet
devours us all."

Taken from "Questionable Content."
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1128

[Russ]

/me dives into his bunker.
I just want to see the look on your face when the walls of your bunker are sucked into the black hole. :D

[PizzaMan]

Did they have to get special legal premission to conduct this experiment?
Wouldn't they have to ask other countries not just the country their doing it in?

[Icey]

No, they would not have to "ask the whole world" (whatever that means).

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0954-3899/35/11/115004/g8_11_115004.pdf?request-id=8bd20b07-2903-4b6d-ab46-d3e85b240da3

For those of you who aren't even willing to read the abstract, basically it says that the LHC presents no real danger.

Edit: Actually, this is a pretty interesting/good read. You might consider going through the whole thing or certain parts.

[Trevelyan_06]

Two things the chance of finding God has a 10 to the -20% chance of happening, stable black hole that consumes the earth has a 10 to the -25% chance. (http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/08/04/what-will-the-lhc-find/)

Also, I think we need to be paying more attention to the Large HARDON Supercollider. (http://largehardoncollider.com/)

[Icey]

By the way, they turned it on already, and so far everything is working well. They haven't collided anything yet, and I don't think they plan to for quite some time. Right now they're just making sure the beam can go around counter-clockwise... then they'll see if it can go around clockwise. So I think there's going to be plenty of testing before anything happens.

Also, LMAO at the ignorance of youtube comments on any LHC-related video.

[Russ]

Well, it worked perfectly. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080910/ap_on_sc/big_bang

Edit: Look at the new Google logo:
http://www.google.com/logos/lhc.gif

[Lilith]

---

[FirstWizZedd45]

Makes one wonder if that is a result of your dyslexia or just a dirty mind...

To say something actually on topic, I once read a science fiction book involving the LHC, I think. The resulting experiment conked everyone in the world out for like two minutes and sent their consciousness forward like ten years... pretty cool.

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/10/lhc.collider/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

Click thru the tabs ... very informative.

EDIT: Under the "Physics" tab... look closely at the picture... one of the white tubs' metal pieces ... hmmm... aren't hooked up <lol> Let's hope they didn't overlook that one little item! :)

[rock_nog]

LOL - well, that could be fun. But hey, maybe that particular tube isn't in use yet - after all, they're still just powering this sucker up, and it will be a year before it's up to full power (with something like this, you need to allocate LOTS of time for tests to make sure everything works).

[Dann Woolf]

Oh fuck I don't wanna die a virgin!

[Breaker]

Did they have to get special legal premission to conduct this experiment?
Wouldn't they have to ask the whole world not just the country their doing it in?

what planet do you live on?

[Archibaldo]

It would be cool to have a planetary annihilation. Thats the way I wanna go. Sucked into oblivion.

[Modus Ponens]

Thats the way I wanna go.

That's selfish. When I die, I want to make sure that my soul enters the Lifestream in time to make sure that the Large Hadron Collider only destroys Meteor and not all of humanity as well.

[Nicholas Steel]

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html
welcome to the 28th october...

[Russ]

Oh my gosh! I laughed so hard at that! Nice find!

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html
welcome to the 28th october...

ROFLOLOLOLOL! Very funny... glad that DIDN'T happen :) I'm glad things are going so well for this experiment. There's a lot of time, manpower, money and etc into this whole thing. It would be a shame of it didn't work, broke, etc.

[Aegix Drakan]

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html
welcome to the 28th october...

. . .

/me pulls out a shotgun, flops it open over his leg, loads it, fires a shot into franpa's torso, then steps on his fallen body, and unloads the next shot into his skull.

>: ( It's a good thing I saw russ' post saying it was funny, or I would have freaked. YOU SIR, HAVE A WACKED OUT SENSE OF HUMOR.

...:rolleyes: ok ok, I have to admit, I chuckled a bit at it.

[bigjoe]

You guys are acting like ya'll are out of the woods. The first shot was a low power. No telling what will happen when they crank it up. Who is to say that many of the Black Holes we see in the sky today, particularly the isolated ones, did not come about in a similar manner, as their overcurious but stupid creators did experiments.


Theres the thing about this happening all the time in space. That may be so, but who is to say that the conditions created here are exactly the same?

Now Im not arguing for either side. Just giving you some food for thought. :sly: Or for paranoia.


ROFLOLOLOLOL! Very funny... glad that DIDN'T happen :) I'm glad things are going so well for this experiment. There's a lot of time, manpower, money and etc into this whole thing. It would be a shame of it didn't work, broke, etc.

[rock_nog]

Ironically, if we do manage to create a stable black hole, it'll be the greatest achievement of mankind before we're sucked into oblivion. Seriously, it boggles the mind - that's exactly the sort of power we would need to attempt interstellar travel. If we reach the point where we can create black holes, we will reach the point where traveling between the stars becomes possible. Sure, it'll be the end of everything for us, but still, it's something to think about.

[Nicholas Steel]

Bigjoe, you do know I said 28th october right? thats when they intend to make teh black hole of DOOOoooo.... "SLURRRRRRP"


Why can't we invest in intensifying nuclear chain reactions without increasing the physical size of the blasts? :O