Large Hadron Collider successfully creates mini Big Bangs

[Rostere]

The thing that is unique with the LHC is it's ability to create focused collisions between these particles, and to measure what happens after those collisions precisely. The accelerated particles are nothing special, the collisions between these are of course rarities (considering it's lead we're talking here) but definitely not something unique. It's possible to count on these things however, and (with some approximations) determine how rare these things are on Earth.

[Wrath of Dagon]

But that wasn't my point - I was responding to WoD's world-ending absurdity.

 

I'm 99% sure he was kidding around.

 

We all know that the world will end in December of 2012 anyway.

No, I wasn't entirely facetious. I think there is a non-negligible risk involved. The collisions in upper atmosphere leave earth at the speed of light, in the LHC they're nearly stationary and thus will stay on earth. Also those collisions don't involve lead atoms as Zoraptor pointed out.

[Moose]

Hopefully the combine won't invade. Damn head crabs.

[Calax]

Hopefully the combine won't invade. Damn head crabs.

Just keep a crowbar around, you'll never have to worry.

 

And WoD I highly doubt anything will happen from the LHC given that there is nothing with enough mass to go boom in any way shape or form that would threaten people

[Aram]

Not until 2012 anyway.

 

Luckily I've hoarded enough gold coins from those commercials that come on during Glenn Beck that I should be safe by then.

[Calax]

Not until 2012 anyway.

 

Luckily I've hoarded enough gold coins from those commercials that come on during Glenn Beck that I should be safe by then.

See, the gold will be devalued and we'll have to buy and sell goods on the economy of Glenn Becks tears.

 

1 tear=a house.

[Walsingham]

So you're saying that in order to be a good wealth creator I have to punch Glenn Beck in the nuts? I have no problem with this.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Not until 2012 anyway.

 

Luckily I've hoarded enough gold coins from those commercials that come on during Glenn Beck that I should be safe by then.

See, that was funny until you mentioned you watch Glenn Beck. Now you're scaring me.

[Calax]

Eh, if anything happens, the Freeman is there to ensure all the nasties go back in their holes.

[Humodour]

But that wasn't my point - I was responding to WoD's world-ending absurdity.

 

I'm 99% sure he was kidding around.

 

We all know that the world will end in December of 2012 anyway.

No, I wasn't entirely facetious. I think there is a non-negligible risk involved.

 

Many conservatives believe this unfortunately. I guess you could put it down to a general fear of and ignorance of science.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Yes, science is always right.

 

Edit: Btw, scientists do think it's quite possible that the LHC will create black holes.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Wrath of Dagon

[Balthamael]

Edit: Btw, scientists do think it's quite possible that the LHC will create black holes.

 

And...why would that be a problem?

[Walsingham]

I wonder how many galactic civilisations have died off at a crucial point by inducing a black hole in their planet? Weird thought.

[Gorth]

I wonder how many galactic civilisations have died off at a crucial point by inducing a black hole in their planet? Weird thought.

Yeah... odd that no traces have been found of such civilisations

[Balthamael]

I wonder how many galactic civilisations have died off at a crucial point by inducing a black hole in their planet? Weird thought.

 

Probably none, as there is no clear path from "we just created a black hole in our particle accelerator" to "OMG, it's going to devour our planet!". Miniature black holes don't exist long enough to contemplate growing bigger.

[Humodour]

A black hole will eventually explode in a gamma ray burst due to constantly leaking Hawking Radiation. The smaller the black hole, the faster it does this. Black holes the size of a few particles would evaporate rapidly.

[Oblarg]

Yes, science is always right.

 

Edit: Btw, scientists do think it's quite possible that the LHC will create black holes.

 

No more harm will come of the LHC's collisions than of those that happen in the upper atmosphere on a fairly regular basis.

[Calax]

I wonder how many galactic civilisations have died off at a crucial point by inducing a black hole in their planet? Weird thought.

 

Probably none, as there is no clear path from "we just created a black hole in our particle accelerator" to "OMG, it's going to devour our planet!". Miniature black holes don't exist long enough to contemplate growing bigger.

Exactly. They appear and evaporate so fast that they are overall impotent even. It's just that pop culture has turned "black hole" to mean "supermassive black hole that tunnels through time and space and may or may not be a way to get to another universe"

 

The only way that a civilization killed itself this way would be if some idiot decided to try to weaponize black holes and forgot that they're indiscriminate.

[Wrath of Dagon]

A black hole will eventually explode in a gamma ray burst due to constantly leaking Hawking Radiation. The smaller the black hole, the faster it does this. Black holes the size of a few particles would evaporate rapidly.

Too bad there's no empirical evidence for this. And since you know so much about science, you should know that the derivation of the Hawkins radiation has already been proven to be incorrect. It's probably still true that the micro black holes are unstable, but there is a set of assumptions under which they would in fact be stable, and could grow slowly over time through collisions with other particles, until it reached enough mass to start attracting other particles, at which point it would rapidly grow and consume earth.

 

As far as collisions in upper atmosphere, they don't prove anything, as any black holes formed would move through the earth at near the speed of light, and thus wouldn't have a chance to grow to a dangerous size. The LHC apologia has already moved on to claim that since white dwarves don't get destroyed by cosmic ray collisions, the earth won't either.

[Walsingham]

Awesome. So you're saying we could be the first! Go humans!

 

*Raises the roof*

[Hurlshort]

You know, if you concern yourself with every little world ending scenario, you just aren't living. Let go and embrace the black hole.

[Oblarg]

A black hole will eventually explode in a gamma ray burst due to constantly leaking Hawking Radiation. The smaller the black hole, the faster it does this. Black holes the size of a few particles would evaporate rapidly.

Too bad there's no empirical evidence for this. And since you know so much about science, you should know that the derivation of the Hawkins radiation has already been proven to be incorrect. It's probably still true that the micro black holes are unstable, but there is a set of assumptions under which they would in fact be stable, and could grow slowly over time through collisions with other particles, until it reached enough mass to start attracting other particles, at which point it would rapidly grow and consume earth.

 

As far as collisions in upper atmosphere, they don't prove anything, as any black holes formed would move through the earth at near the speed of light, and thus wouldn't have a chance to grow to a dangerous size. The LHC apologia has already moved on to claim that since white dwarves don't get destroyed by cosmic ray collisions, the earth won't either.

 

There's nothing to "apologize" for, because nothing will happen.

[Wrath of Dagon]

And if it does, we'll never know

[Calax]

Dagon... let me just put it this way, you have a better chance of being trampled by a cow than you do of being killed by something the LHC does.

[Hurlshort]

Dagon... let me just put it this way, you have a better chance of being trampled by a cow than you do of being killed by something the LHC does.

 

But was that cow genetically designed by scientists?