Large Hadron Collider: Public chooses 'Halo' as its new name

www.telegraph.co.uk.../earth/2008/09/17/scilhc117.xm

Forget about the yawn-inducing Large Hadron Collider.

The name "Halo" sounds much catchier and should adorn the £4.4 billion experiment, according to a poll organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry in London

The Large Hadron Collider does what it says on the tin, since hadron refers to the subatomic particles that the giant machine smashes together at a shade below the speed of light.

But this "fails to reflect the drama of its mission, or the inspiration it should be conveying to the wider public," says Dr Richard Pike, chief executive of the Society.

I think Halo is very 'fitting' as a name. The LHC/Halo is similar to the Halo megastructures from the Bungie video game series. Except that the video game versions were purposfully designed as a weapon.

DocMoreau

How long till the Microsoft lawsuit then they can hopefully bankrupt and shut them down. I'm joking but it wouldn't suprise me.

I hear they are starting collisions next week now unfortunately.

Yes, it's quite a funny inference for CERN, that one. Except of course the size difference, the LHC being 17 miles in circumference, the depicted Megastructure having a cirumference of about 25,000 miles. Only 1470 times bigger .

And given the fact that MS tried to patent PgUp and PgDn earlier this year, shouldn't take them long.

reply to post by DocMoreau

The renaming of things laden with negative connotation is an old pagan custom that originated in the rituals of early Homo sapiens. If Zero begins to demonstrate negative property and moves toward Bad, then Zero will be renamed to Good. The renaming was believed to affect the property of Zero turned bad.

Christianity dealt with the uncertainties of immense power demonstration by assigning positive attributes to Zero to stabilize it. God is almighty and therefore capable of anything, but have no fear, for He loves us all.

Renaming the Large Hadron Collider to neutral Halo is a result of instinctive and ritualistic behavior of some Homo sapiens whose genetic linage still connects with the deep past. But in this particular case, the powerful instinct of self-preservation resulted in renaming Bad to Zero: Zero is considered a neutral concept in evolutionary psychology, and Halo doesn't manifest negative/positive polarity. It is a very interesting case of psychological disarmament.

Some evolutionary psychologists speculate that the reduction of the original three-word name to just one name is the result of the ritualistic instinct of power reducing by quantity. Since one is less than three, the black-hole producing power of LHC will be reduced and the installation will not be able to cause a global catastrophe.

reply to post by apex


Maybe instead of suing CERN, Microsoft should pay them naming rights, like a sports stadium. HALO: CERN's Large Hadron Collider brought to you by XBOX 360



reply to post by stander


I totally agree with what you are saying, esoterically, but also in modern propagandad sense.

"Large Hadron Collider" already has so much bad/uneasy press, that "Halo" with it's 'angelic'/pop culture connotations provides an excellent opportunity to 're-brand' in the public's perception.

I wonder how many people realize the connections between modern advertising/logotypes and esoteric symbols.
DocMoreau

It only occurred to me that Halo in the game was actually huge weapon designed to destroy all life. I don't know how that passed me by until now.

Seemed a strange name to pick I wonder if they researched it at all.

All I have to say is they either have a sick sense of humour or are Idiots.

Originally posted by Teknikal
It only occurred to me that Halo in the game was actually huge weapon designed to destroy all life. I don't know how that passed me by until now.
.

I guess that is why the story struck me the most when I found out that Halo was their choice for a name.

The irony of trying to change the public's perception, only added fuel to the fires of the beliefs of some.

DocMoreau

I think it's a good idea. But I'm not sure that people think Halo then the game, halo. A significant number will but most won't.

It'd be funnier if the weapon in the game was a black hole generator, it'd be uncanny.

Also, the people at LHC are nerds, so of course they know a thing or two about halo!

When I traveled europe people used to greet one another with "Halo" friendly enough sounding with a strong German accent.

Originally posted by antar
When I traveled europe people used to greet one another with "Halo" friendly enough sounding with a strong German accent.

Well the Germans use the word hello like we do, but with the accent, it sounds like halo.

Has it actually be renamed or like the article says just offered up as a name, if it had it should it know be known as HALO, i still think its the LHC

Trying to get the article to load at the moment... tried searching the site for it but the page failed out.
Seems more like the opinion of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London than CERN or anyone apparently involved in the project.
So... in other words it's more people's opinions on what the LHC should be called, probably explaining the name.

Thats what i thought but it would seem there is time to work on a renaming project now they are up for repairs, maybe a 3million dollar grant to apply a team for it, scientists can get bored too

reply to post by pazcat


Bill Bailey speculated on what the board scientists will do at the LHC.

"Psshhhh-krrrr.
It's not working.
Turn it off then on again."

Or it goes, but they don't get anything.

"Um, put a satsuma and a Malteser.
Make a sateser.
A cream egg and a cockroach
It'd be a cream egg that could survive a nuclear blast
It's be the only thing you could eat."

Dang, my link somehow broke, and it is too late to edit....

Anyway, the article implied that is was not an official name change, but more of a colloquial nickname.

Either way, the Halo game/LHC coincidences are a bit chilling...

DocMoreau

reply to post by DocMoreau


Chilling? Not in the least. May I suggest you read about the LHC and the underlying physics at play? If you did, you'd be as scared of it as a box of puppies. Expensive puppies.

reply to post by dave420


Chilling, yes... at least to me. I understand the underlying physics behind LHC, thanks... Perhaps you are unaware what a 'Halo' is?

en.wikipedia.org...(megastructure)

According to Halo's fiction, the Forerunners built the rings for two purposes. The first use of the rings was to contain and study the Flood, an infectious alien parasite. The rings also act together as a weapon of last resort; when fired, the rings kill any sentient life capable of falling prey to the Flood, starving the parasite of its food.

One would think that if CERN were trying to bring positive face to their structure, that perhaps naming it after a 'weapon of last resort' that kills all 'sentient life' is perhaps a bad idea. Especially in light of the widespread paranoia that the LHC could screw up and destroy the planet and kill all the life on it.

So yes, for me, it is a bit chilling, but thanks for playing.
Your Xbox Live account has been updated accordingly.

DocMoreau