Is anyone else slightly worried about the Large Hadron Collider Switching on?

Question

All right, so I've been reading up on this Large Hadron Collider deal, and I'm not so sure I like the implications. Apparently, the scientists CONDUCTING the experiment aren't even sure what the thing does. When it is finally switched on, which I've heard will be anywhere from November 26, 2007 to May 2008, it will either, prove the big bang theory, by producing in layman's terms a little universe all it's own out of nothing, OR, it could create a black hole, or dimensional rift. Does anyone else think that this is a particularly BAD idea? Anyway, just something going through my head. You can look up the info on Wiki if you're unaware of this subject.

Answer 1

There is no danger that the LHC will destroy the planet, or the universe. The LHC accelerates nuclear particles to very high energies and collides them. However, it does not produce centre-of-mass energies that exceed some of those produced by high energy cosmic rays. The universe slams things into Jupiter, Earth, and the moon all the time, with energies that are much higher than anything the LHC can produce. Cosmic rays have been hitting objects in the solar system for billions of years, and have not destroyed the planet or the universe.

The LHC's unique quality isn't in the amount of energy it can put into particles, it's in the fact that it can set up these collisions to occur in a known volume of space, and physicists can build big detectors around that space. An extraordinarily lazy and patient physicist could simply place all of the detectors on the moon (no atmospheric or magnetic shielding), minus the particle accelerator, and then wait until a high energy cosmic ray happened to collide with something in the middle of the detectors. They would get data at energies higher than anything the LHC could produce. The problem is, it would be a very long wait. You can't instrument the entire moon.

Answer 2

no longer interior the slightest, they're purely particularly turning it on on the mo and that's it. heavily nevertheless, what's there to certainly hardship approximately? the probabilities of it doing something of the kinds (from what i've got heard) is on the element of a million in 50,000,000. that's exceedingly narrow. apart from, they are not certainly becoming a black hollow, yet basically attempting to discover atoms/protons/debris that have for this reason a ways been seen purely a concept. in the event that they did create a fluke black hollow that should even removtely final long adequate to wipe us out, we would possibly never discover out approximately it ;). yet because it stands, the worry-loose concept is that the Black hollow might fall down decrease than its' own radiation (Hawkings concept) and not final long adequate to truly do something. there is been experiments of the same nature through fact the 70's besides, yet no-one complains approximately those. as nicely, all they're doing is popping it on, they are not bringing it mutually till later while they have sped it up. advantages and Toodles

Answer 3

Please! The LHC is just one more big ol' particle accelerator. These are devices intended to allow observation under controlled conditions of the behavior of particles.

PARTICLES, please, not black holes, parallel universes, strange thingamajigs, or other speculative effects.

Human technology does not include managing the kind of power required to create a cosmic event.

Nothing to worry about. It's just a gadget with a HUGE electric bill.

Answer 4

Christopher N is correct. The most harm I expect from this event: it may dim the lights in the neighborhood.

Answer 5

You've been watching too much bad Scifi TV. None of that is going to happen.

Answer 6

woa dude i had no idea, they can destroy like a country or sumpthing, they should try it on another planet!