Are We All To Die When CERN Sort Themselves Out?

[Godot 149]

All those worries - looks like the guys digging that black hole are having a tea break, either that or a car has come off the track half way round. I would guess the latter.

[honez 79]

All those worries - looks like the guys digging that black hole are having a tea break, either that or a car has come off the track half way round. I would guess the latter.

Nope. According to the Louth Leader, it's UFOs and/or pockets of energy.

"A man called Anthony from Wales emailed ... "I was having a cigarette outside my front door on Saturday at around 9pm and I looked over the roof tops and saw two orange-red glowing lights coming from over the hill where I live... We live in a little village in Swansea and after 47 years of looking up at night this is the first UFO I have ever seen....Could it be something to do with that experiment they are doing under ground in Geneva letting out pockets of energy or something?"

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

All those worries - looks like the guys digging that black hole are having a tea break, either that or a car has come off the track half way round. I would guess the latter.

 

It's just a big, empty tube. Part of a psychological experiment. The bit about particles colliding and the Big Bang and the rest is all made up, just to see how gullible the world would be.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

All those worries - looks like the guys digging that black hole are having a tea break, either that or a car has come off the track half way round. I would guess the latter.

 

It's just a big, empty tube. Part of a psychological experiment. The bit about particles colliding and the Big Bang and the rest is all made up, just to see how gullible the world would be.

I think we were $6.5 billion dollars gullible.

[honez 79]

Guess what's going to happen when they try again...

[honez 79]

Seeing how things are a bit quiet while the people at CERN wait for a replacement part to arrive from ebay, you might like to celebrate by buying one of these tee-shirts...

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

Here's the latest on the hollow tube of nothingness Large Hardon Collider.

 

£14 million more down the drain

 

I like the pic at the top - have they been fixing that helium leak with tin foil?

[Godot 149]

Here's the latest on the hollow tube of nothingness Large Hardon Collider.

 

£14 million more down the drain

 

I like the pic at the top - have they been fixing that helium leak with tin foil?

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more fun to have a "let's speak like Donald Duck day?"

[honez 79]

While we're all waiting for Armageddon to arrive, try to open the gates of hell yourself through running the LHC simulator. Hours of fun await those attempting to free Baal and his minions.

[Rotten Ali 600]

Noticed a news item that says the LHC will not be running again for some more time yet.

 

I don't like the idea at all. To aim to make a tiny black hole is folly. In that when one is "made" who is to say that it would not grow ever larger? These clever chaps ever asked the question - if a black hole forms does it ever close or stop? What happens to us if in fact an overlooked common law in physics is such that if a black hole forms, then there is no way to stop the insuewing actions everytime?

 

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

 

"If it is't broke, don't try and fix it!"

[honez 79]

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

When was the last time you went to hospital? The Doctor? The Dentist? Use elecrticity? Travel in a car? Plane? Train? On a boat?

[Monoclinic 39]

Noticed a news item that says the LHC will not be running again for some more time yet.

 

I don't like the idea at all. To aim to make a tiny black hole is folly. In that when one is "made" who is to say that it would not grow ever larger? These clever chaps ever asked the question - if a black hole forms does it ever close or stop? What happens to us if in fact an overlooked common law in physics is such that if a black hole forms, then there is no way to stop the insuewing actions everytime?

 

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

 

"If it is't broke, don't try and fix it!"

 

I have to stop myself from being rude here and resist the urge to tell you to f**k off and go buy a cave to live in.

 

We do research in order to improve the quality of life. If you don't like it then please think twice before visiting a doctor, before stepping onto a train plane or bus, before turning on your washing machine, before reheating your dinner in a microwave...ad infinitum. We do research to design new materials with amazing electronic/optical/thermal... properties to make life easier, better, longer. If you don't like it then please think twice before turning on your DVD, MP3 player, Wii, TV, electronic data storage devices or before wearing clothes, (gore-tex, kevlar, viscose etc.). We do not apologise for bringing entertainment and comfort into your lives nor for making your life easier, if you wish to go back to sweeping chimneys, to shitting out of windows, to annual plagues then please do not let us stop you.

 

Mankind has seen unprecedented progress in the last 200+ years. Where do you think we would be if some numpty were to have said to Faraday to stop fiddling with all those wires in case he blew up the world because he himself had received little formal education? In the dark that's bloody where. He was a phenomenal experimental scientist who achieved so much with so little. He, like many scientists, made his discoveries through curiosity, which incidentally may or may not have killed Schrödinger's cat. What about Marie Curie? She died as a consequence of her research but there had to be someone to go ahead so that we could benefit from knowing the advantages and the disadvantages of radiation. It is far better that such research is conducted in a highly regulated manner than by a bunch of renegade malevolent humans.

 

Naturally, as the world moves on we have bigger and better tools with which to do our jobs. Yes, sometimes risks are involved but believe me they are well calculated. There are rigourous safety appraisals, risk assessments and legislation that has to be carried out which is more than can be said of the science of the Victorian era. And remember, you could always be run over by a bus (or pony and trap) tomorrow so what the hell, I say take that very very very slight risk that us mere human mortals could endeavour to create a black hole on a scale so very very very much smaller than the universe.

 

Oh and if you despise everything that CERN stands for please leave your internet cable at the door on your way out. I wouldn't want you to be inadvertantly championing "one of theirs".

[Dave to the Grave 11]

Noticed a news item that says the LHC will not be running again for some more time yet.

 

I don't like the idea at all. To aim to make a tiny black hole is folly. In that when one is "made" who is to say that it would not grow ever larger? These clever chaps ever asked the question - if a black hole forms does it ever close or stop? What happens to us if in fact an overlooked common law in physics is such that if a black hole forms, then there is no way to stop the insuewing actions everytime?

 

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

 

"If it is't broke, don't try and fix it!"

 

I have to stop myself from being rude here and resist the urge to tell you to f**k off and go buy a cave to live in.

 

We do research in order to improve the quality of life. If you don't like it then please think twice before visiting a doctor, before stepping onto a train plane or bus, before turning on your washing machine, before reheating your dinner in a microwave...ad infinitum. We do research to design new materials with amazing electronic/optical/thermal... properties to make life easier, better, longer. If you don't like it then please think twice before turning on your DVD, MP3 player, Wii, TV, electronic data storage devices or before wearing clothes, (gore-tex, kevlar, viscose etc.). We do not apologise for bringing entertainment and comfort into your lives nor for making your life easier, if you wish to go back to sweeping chimneys, to shitting out of windows, to annual plagues then please do not let us stop you.

 

Mankind has seen unprecedented progress in the last 200+ years. Where do you think we would be if some numpty were to have said to Faraday to stop fiddling with all those wires in case he blew up the world because he himself had received little formal education? In the dark that's bloody where. He was a phenomenal experimental scientist who achieved so much with so little. He, like many scientists, made his discoveries through curiosity, which incidentally may or may not have killed Schrödinger's cat. What about Marie Curie? She died as a consequence of her research but there had to be someone to go ahead so that we could benefit from knowing the advantages and the disadvantages of radiation. It is far better that such research is conducted in a highly regulated manner than by a bunch of renegade malevolent humans.

 

Naturally, as the world moves on we have bigger and better tools with which to do our jobs. Yes, sometimes risks are involved but believe me they are well calculated. There are rigourous safety appraisals, risk assessments and legislation that has to be carried out which is more than can be said of the science of the Victorian era. And remember, you could always be run over by a bus (or pony and trap) tomorrow so what the hell, I say take that very very very slight risk that us mere human mortals could endeavour to create a black hole on a scale so very very very much smaller than the universe.

 

Oh and if you despise everything that CERN stands for please leave your internet cable at the door on your way out. I wouldn't want you to be inadvertantly championing "one of theirs".

 

Personally I'd love to live in a cave. We're lucky enough to have one which I'd love to convert, but what to do with those bats? But who cares, it's my quality of life that counts.

 

Just a thought, but great though those achievements are, was it necessary to, for example develop, and test, a nuclear bomb, in order to have a DVD or a cure for nasty diseases and stuff. I am sure I'm missing something here, but the more educated here will probably put me right.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,357]

I say bring back caves and burn the CERN

 

When we reap the downside of nanotechnology and nuclear weapons, as one day we surely will, the human race will tire of all this progress and The Great Simplification will dawn. When that day comes, Mono and her learned friends will be burned at the stake to save the rest of us from spagettification, or something even worse.

[Monoclinic 39]

Personally I'd love to live in a cave. We're lucky enough to have one which I'd love to convert, but what to do with those bats? But who cares, it's my quality of life that counts.

 

Just a thought, but great though those achievements are, was it necessary to, for example develop, and test, a nuclear bomb, in order to have a DVD or a cure for nasty diseases and stuff. I am sure I'm missing something here, but the more educated here will probably put me right.

 

Of course it wasn't necessary, it is however an example of scientists being under pressure from lay people. No doubt they were traumatised by the outcomes of their work but having world class thinkers on both sides (Heisenberg for instance remained in Germany) they were fearful of the capabilities of the Germans. However, radiation does have its positive uses, smoke detectectors work on alpha radiation, countless isotope based medical tests and of course cancer therapies to which some of our hot topics are most grateful for. And to bring us on course, I think Ocky would have dire trouble running the DDP without technology.

 

Scientists are made all too aware of their perception by the population in general and there is so much that makes us mad. Partly it is caused by a break down in communication, and that fault lies on both sides, I accept. When things get taken out of context, hyped up, exaggerated or misconstrued it niggles. The media frenzy over the LHC was completely OTT no doubt, I couldn't say the reception on my TV was terrible in France so I never watched it, couldn't seem to find the patafix to mount the aeriel on the side of the cave.

 

In the words of The Philosopher. Peace.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

The only thing that pisses me off is when Scientists declare "its perfectly safe" and the risk is "minimal".

Id much rather be told that they are pissing in the wind, its all theory and they havent a clue whether we will all die or not.

I think its becoming more clear to scientists that the laws of Physics, as we understand them, are not neccessarily applicable to the rest of the Universe.

The chances are bog all will happen when the old hardon gets switched on, however, who the f**k knows?

Who cares?

Not me.

[CarolAnn 926]

...and on top of all that, it's meddling, not medalling.

[Dave to the Grave 11]

An example of medalling that I don't understand.

[Banshees Scream 110]

This thread must have manifested while I was "in the deep sleep" if that's any way to put it. The environment which surrounds this girl must have had a profound influence on her communicative skills and I believe it has overshadowed her intelligence.

 

I noticed that she mentions something about a directors dream and the material is sort of provided. Just imagine, a young girl who has the mind of a Polymath but the social skills of Paris Hilton. If any director is reading through he just might be borderline inspired..

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

While I, and presumably most DL'ers, agree technology, experiments, science etc. are all really good for making our lives better, I just don't get how the LHC is going to help us. I tried reading the wiki page Large Hollow Cylinder but because I'm too stupid gave up after five minutes. If I was told it would, e.g., make progress in enabling us to travel by hooking ourselves to a big magnet, and whoosh, we'd be in Paris in five minutes without having our insides all churned up, I'd be all for it. But what practical benefit are we, or future generations, ever going to receive from the LHC? I'm not completely convinced they know what they're doing, given they had to switch it off after five minutes because of that age old scientific challenge - it got too hot - and oops, six tons of liquid helium got spilled.

 

It's like space travel after man landed on the moon. Well done, great achievement, but let's just leave it there. We're never going to live on the moon, much less any other planet, and why would we even want to try? You could never go outside and walk the dog (and yes, I've read the Tintin book where he does just that, but it was totally unrealistic - there were no trees anywhere for poor Snowy to relieve himself. With all that built up pressure I'm surprised the little guy's four legged space suit didn't explode). Wouldn't it make more sense to try to fix problems on earth, like how to get fresh water and decent agriculture in every country, before we build space stations to support never-existent missions to Mars? I guess when they go up and fix a satellite or the Hubble Telescope that's pretty cool, but given the space shuttle's dodgy safety record I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to design satellites that can be brought back to earth for repairs. Or just blow 'em up and build a new one.

 

The LHC costs several billion pounds, which I might like to have back right now to help fund the economic stimulus packages regular citizens all over the world will be asked to pay for. Or to execute irresponsible corporate fat cats. Come to think of it, the scientists behind the LHC are a bit like investment bankers. "What we do benefits everyone in ways you couldn't possibly understand." Right, how about you apply your brilliance (and our money) to making something that actually helps people, today? Believe me, there are plenty of far more practical, and immediate, needs out there.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

While I, and presumably most DL'ers, agree technology, experiments, science etc. are all really good for making our lives better, I just don't get how the LHC is going to help us. I tried reading the wiki page Large Hollow Cylinder but because I'm too stupid gave up after five minutes. If I was told it would, e.g., make progress in enabling us to travel by hooking ourselves to a big magnet, and whoosh, we'd be in Paris in five minutes without having our insides all churned up, I'd be all for it. But what practical benefit are we, or future generations, ever going to receive from the LHC? I'm not completely convinced they know what they're doing, given they had to switch it off after five minutes because of that age old scientific challenge - it got too hot - and oops, six tons of liquid helium got spilled.

 

It's like space travel after man landed on the moon. Well done, great achievement, but let's just leave it there. We're never going to live on the moon, much less any other planet, and why would we even want to try? You could never go outside and walk the dog (and yes, I've read the Tintin book where he does just that, but it was totally unrealistic - there were no trees anywhere for poor Snowy to relieve himself. With all that built up pressure I'm surprised the little guy's four legged space suit didn't explode). Wouldn't it make more sense to try to fix problems on earth, like how to get fresh water and decent agriculture in every country, before we build space stations to support never-existent missions to Mars? I guess when they go up and fix a satellite or the Hubble Telescope that's pretty cool, but given the space shuttle's dodgy safety record I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to design satellites that can be brought back to earth for repairs. Or just blow 'em up and build a new one.

 

The LHC costs several billion pounds, which I might like to have back right now to help fund the economic stimulus packages regular citizens all over the world will be asked to pay for. Or to execute irresponsible corporate fat cats. Come to think of it, the scientists behind the LHC are a bit like investment bankers. "What we do benefits everyone in ways you couldn't possibly understand." Right, how about you apply your brilliance (and our money) to making something that actually helps people, today? Believe me, there are plenty of far more practical, and immediate, needs out there.

As cynical as I am, your argument fell on its arse at the first hurdle.

Got wireless Broadband? Mobile phone? Wouldnt of happened if man hadnt first looked up to the stars and wondered.

Rocket technology created out of Military budgets and utilized post WW2 to send Dogs, Chimps, Humans and Sputnik into the Heavens.

Going to the Moon was a given, more about National acheivement than trying to live there. It defined Mankinds critical stage in our evolution. Was it not the greatest thing you ever saw? Until they did land on the Moon, it was still assumed, in some quarters, to be made of Cheese.

Was it worth Sir Edmund Hilary REALLY going up Everest? Why bother?

Whats the point of Sir Ranlph Fiennes?

Science has as much to do with pushing boundaries and learning as it is about providing answers to questions.

The LHC has been 25 ( IIRC ) years in the making, many nations have drip fed finance into its construction, the cost to the Taxpayer has been considerably less than keeping the citizens of Merthyr Tydfil on Benefits.

Im no Scientist but Im assuming that these experiments are all leading to one ultimate discovery.

Free inexhaustible energy. A Conservationists dream and a Gas/Oil producers worst nightmare.

I personally dont believe that the Scientists involved truly understand what they are dealing with. I think they are playing with fire BUT so have Scientists before them. Thanks to them, we have come a long, long way in a short time span.

If the Human race doesnt bother, thinks its not worth it, isnt bovvered, cant be arsed then Monos suggestion is probably a sensible one, we should all f**k off and buy a Cave to live in.

[TAFKAG 70]

While the Hardon is down at Kwik-Fit, those damned Yanks are trying to pull a fast one by discovering the 'God particle' with their own accelerator, Tevatron.

 

It reminds me of the famous US-UK space race of the 1960s, when Britain's Colin Pillinger (the Austin Powers of astronauts) became the first man to reach the moon in his pedal- and manure-powered rocket, Bumpkin IV, in early June 1969. Yeah baby.

 

 

 

Incidentally, Peter Higgs, whose boson they're all frantically searching for, turns 80 in a couple of months.

[Windsor 2,233]

Incidentally, Peter Higgs, whose boson they're all frantically searching for, turns 80 in a couple of months.

 

If only the cruel bastard would tell them where it is...

[Rotten Ali 600]

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

When was the last time you went to hospital? The Doctor? The Dentist? Use elecrticity? Travel in a car? Plane? Train? On a boat?

 

Hospital = about 2 years or so ago.

Doctor = about a year ago.

Dentist = last June.

Use electricty = well that's a silly question!

Car = yesterday

Plane = 737 March last year.

Train = Nottingham to Derby about a month ago.

Boat = Thomas Land boating lake! - September last year.

 

Point taken, but I'm on about just this one set of ideas/plans. In that trying to build a tiny black hole is too close to the wire to really be worth the risk of going beyond what can be controlled if something really bad goes wrong. Murphy's Law. If something can go wrong it will go wrong. Thus, I really can see the slim chance, that the whole frabric of our planet and solar system being ripped apart and blasted into some far flung reaches of our galaxy. Lots of scientists want us to travel to the stars and this could be just the way to do it! Only I don't want to do it any time soon thank you very much, especially immitating a strand of hair.

[honez 79]

Stop medalling in things you don't understand.

When was the last time you went to hospital? The Doctor? The Dentist? Use elecrticity? Travel in a car? Plane? Train? On a boat?

 

Hospital = about 2 years or so ago.

Doctor = about a year ago.

Dentist = last June.

Use electricty = well that's a silly question!

Car = yesterday

Plane = 737 March last year.

Train = Nottingham to Derby about a month ago.

Boat = Thomas Land boating lake! - September last year.

 

Point taken, but I'm on about just this one set of ideas/plans. In that trying to build a tiny black hole is too close to the wire to really be worth the risk of going beyond what can be controlled if something really bad goes wrong. Murphy's Law. If something can go wrong it will go wrong. Thus, I really can see the slim chance, that the whole frabric of our planet and solar system being ripped apart and blasted into some far flung reaches of our galaxy. Lots of scientists want us to travel to the stars and this could be just the way to do it! Only I don't want to do it any time soon thank you very much, especially immitating a strand of hair.

... I wish those scientists didn't meddle with electricity. One mistake and who knows, all those tiny electrons could arc up into a big lightning bolt that could burn the whole sky, or something.

 

... I wish those scientists didn't meddle with chemicals. One mistake and who knows, those hydrogen molecules could get loose and bind to all the oxygen to turn our air into water and we'd drown, or something.

 

... I wish those scientists didn't meddle with subatomic collisions. One mistake and who knows, that mini-mini-miniscule amount of mass might suddenly balloon up billions and billions of times into a black hole big enough to put a bend in spacetime that could suck the LHC and all of us into oblivion, or something.

 

... I wish ... oh, wait, I've already had my three wishes. Damn.