World's largest experiment set to go off with a Big Bang

World's largest experiment set to go off with a Big Bang

www.theage.com.au

AS THE world's largest and most expensive science experiment, the new particle accelerator buried 100 metres beneath the Alpine foothills along the Swiss-French border is 27.3 kilometres long and up to 12 storeys high. It weighs 2 billion kilograms, and is designed to generate temperatures of more than a trillion degrees.

Most experts believe the explosions created when the particles hit each other will reveal the basic building blocks of everything around us. There are some, however, who fear it could destroy the planet.

A lawsuit filed last week by environmentalists in Hawaii is seeking a restraining order preventing the European Nuclear Research Centre (CERN) from switching it on for fear it could create a black hole that will suck up all life on Earth.

"We are going to see new types of matter we haven't been able to see before," said Professor Frank Close, a particle physicist at Oxford University. "The idea that it could cause the end of the world is ridiculous."

Housed in a subterranean lair that would provide a suitable home for a Hollywood super-villain, it is hardly surprising there are conspiracy theories surrounding the work being carried out on the collider.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I especially like the part of this article where an Oxford Professor states that any thoughts of this ending the world is ridiculous, I guess to them any talk of danger is just conspiracy jargon.

Sure Oxford Says it ain't going to happen but clearly they have never done this before on such a large scale so who knows what might go wrong or "accidentally" happen.

So from the sounds of it July may be the new End of the world date to mark in the calender if not the end of the world a whole new chapter of it.

I for one sure wouldn't want to be the one pushing the button then again who knows we might learn the meaning of life in that split second before we all disappear.

www.theage.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

I picked up the paper this morning, skimmed through it, and the words 'housed in a subterranean lair' jumped out at me. Now is that a shining example of unbiased journalism or what?

They said the same thing about the A-bomb tests , That a nuclear explosion would start a chain reaction of every atom on earth splitting, or somthing along those lines

Just followed the link to the Lawsuit story and found the associated ATS thread

Black Hole Lawsuit

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 7-4-2008 by fLANKED]

i also love how they throw in that its a suitable home for a Hollywood Super-Villian making it sound like us conspiracy nuts just watch a little too much TV

reply to post by Disgustipated



reminds me of the movie about the development of the a bombs.

general says to a reporter at the test site "ok, prepare 3 stories. 1 for if it works, 1 for if it fails and 1 for if we set the atmosphere on fire"

good times lol

"We are going to see new types of matter we haven't been able to see before," said Professor Frank Close, a particle physicist at Oxford University. "The idea that it could cause the end of the world is ridiculous."

So let me get this straight. You don't really know what the hell is going to be created by this thing, but its ridiculous to think that its dangerous. Sure thing, Frank.

My own opinion? Fire the thing up, lets see what happens. Dangerous or not, I think the potential benefits outweigh the risk and honestly, I don't think anything negative will happen. And if it does destroy the planet, so what? You've gotta go sometime. At least I'll have an interesting death.

I say vote... do a vote in as many countries as possible, just as you do to elect the new leader. If a majority says yes then go ahed, if it fails and we all die it's the majorities fault and not the scientists.

If we vote no then don't do it, it's the majorities fault that we don't find new 'things', but the majority has decided they don't want those new 'things'.

I already know I'd vote no... and so would most people I know.

reply to post by vor78


Completely agree with your first statement but on the subject of just firing the thing up and hoping for the best i cant agree with.

I have two young kids and one more on the way and if it came down to the choice between pushing a button to learn the mystery's of the world possibly killing us all in the process and getting the chance to watch my kids grow up i know which one id choose.

But it ain't my choice i have no say in my kids future i just have to sit back and hope that these scientists are correct and that nothing goes wrong. It just shows me that we are already under a world dictator one that gets to decide that a little bit more knowledge is worth the risk of our lives.
Truly what has this world become when it is knowledge we seek more then life.


Good point on the vote i think thats the least we deserve.

[edit on 7-4-2008 by fLANKED]

When is the first time they are going to run the thing?

Sometime in July, I am a bit worried about it, because life as we know it may be gone by July. or in another universe or something like we don't know for sure whats on the other side of a black hole, we just assume things just get destroyed, but it could take us to another universe or something.

reply to post by fLANKED


I think the risk is insignificant, which is why its a risk I don't mind them taking. Doesn't mean I'd want to be the one actually flipping the switch on a device that could potentially wipe out the entire solar system on the tiny chance that something unexpected does occur.

In the end, I like you, realize that I have no influence on the matter and will simply make the best of it, whatever the outcome. If my fate is to be pulled apart atom by atom by a black hole, so be it.

it will be -280 degrees Celcius in the room they do the experiment in, I dunno if it will end up bad or a huge explosion or not,

[edit on 7-4-2008 by hypr2008]

reply to post by hypr2008


I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the main concern is that these high energy particle collisions will create tiny black holes. While it is believed that they will dissipate before they're able to pull in enough mass to become self-sustaining, the concern is simply that maybe they're wrong. Maybe it won't dissipate and perhaps it will just continue to build mass and become more powerful.

Of course, I've also read that, at the black hole's projected rate of growth, it would take something like 300 years for it to actually become a problem. No idea if that's true or not.

yea, they just wouldn't suck everything in sight right at the first few moments, they would be so small that they would just dissipate or crush upon their own weight.

This is such a horrible idea.

If the video game Half Life has taught me anything its that machines like this one will do nothing but create a dimensional tear that will allow evil aliens into our world.

I can't see them being able to raise the money to build it, let alone to run it without having some semblance of knowing what will happen when they throw the switch.

Just think that if the public was "in the know" during the A-Bomb development during the 40's. Can you imagine the stories and theories that would have been floating around then?

"and is designed to generate temperatures of more than a trillion degrees."

How does this fit in to the whole "Global Warming" scare?

I guess we weren't satisfied with nuclear weapons. We have to create something bigger.

I'll be laughing in my corner of the black hole when we finally piss nature off enough that we no longer exist.

reply to post by fLANKED


one can only hope that the scientists operating this new accelerator have a "volume control" and some common sense so they can gradually increase the power levels before anything goes haywire or out of their control.

i'm not a fan of nostradamus but i saw an ad for a book a year ago supposedly giving a modern interpretation of what his "prophecies" were supposed to mean and one thing mentioned was about some experiment they would do in europe that would go wrong and cause a "time rift"

that term "time rift" means nothing to me but it does sound ominous.

just imagine if we suddenly found ourselves wearing diapers and our thumbs stuck in our mouths?----i'd hate to have to go back and start my life all over again to try and get back to this time now-----especially if i was stuck having to endure the consequences and guilt associated with making the same mistakes all over that i'd sooner forget about.

on the other hand i remember some good things i wouldn't mind reliving also.


there's probably nothing to worry about-----that hydrogen bomb the russians tested ----wasn't it 100 megatons or more and apparently it didn't generate any self sustaining black holes that we know of.