The Hadron collider

[Coast]

I think I'm still alive.....

[NL]

Well the first experiment has been relatively successful, the beam was close to the point they

expected it to be for the first 3km, just a little fine tuning to the magnets before they fire again

for the next stage, it'll be about another 2hrs before they have fired all around the 27km chamber.

[A.J]

I think I'm still alive.....

hang on...just checking....toes?...fingers?...arms?.....legs?...brain? (what brain?..lol)....yep, I'm still here!....bugger, does that mean I still have to pay my bills?

[Coast]

does that mean I still have to pay my bills?

and mine

[VillagePlank]

and mine

oh bugger - I was banking on the end of the world ... bloody Daily Express. Can't be trusted to report anything truthful, or indeed useful

[NL]

Thats the first experiment finished an hour earlier than predicted.

[Shiny_Bottom_1]

Will it make it snow this winter

[A.J]

Thats the first experiment finished an hour earlier than predicted.

Yep, I heard the project director say earlier on radio 4, then if the 1st test goes better than expected, then they'll fire a beam the opposite direction later on today, and maybe the first low energy collisions afterwards....That does surprise me somewhat, I was led to believe there wouldnt be any collisions for several weeks!

[Supercell Hunters]

http://news.slashdot.org/news/08/06/23/134251.shtml?tid=271

[Red Raven]

It's not only very unlikely any collision will take place today and probably not for a few months. It's even more unlikely and if I am to be so bold laughably silly to think this experiment will bring about the end of the earth.

Watching News24, which is of mixed quality, I do find it very odd indeed that an expert who is a particle physicist can also claim to be Christian theologist as well - sorry but thats just as daft as the end of the world stories. It's like a captain of a ship who regularly plots courses across oceans and seas yet still believes the earth is flat.

[TEITS]

I'm not seriously worried, but one or two scientists have expressed alarm about this experiment. I heard a suggestion that it could lead to the creation of a black hole inside the earth that would gradually consume the earth and reach the surface in "fifty months" (I am just quoting this) and then the earth would be turned "inside out."

Well, it will stop raining at least.

I have been following the LHC from various sources and what concerns me is if the scientists aren't sure what to expect from this experiment how can they be so sure of the consequences!

I think the whole idea of a black hole consuming the earth is a bit far fetched but im not exactly comfortable with the idea of this experiment.

[Mr Sleet]

It's not only very unlikely any collision will take place today and probably not for a few months. It's even more unlikely and if I am to be so bold laughably silly to think this experiment will bring about the end of the earth.

Watching News24, which is of mixed quality, I do find it very odd indeed that an expert who is a particle physicist can also claim to be Christian theologist as well - sorry but thats just as daft as the end of the world stories. It's like a captain of a ship who regularly plots courses across oceans and seas yet still believes the earth is flat.

I don't think there's anything odd about that at all. Do you think these particles "just happened" to exist ? Now that would be odd !

I think you would be surprised how many scientist including in this field are practising Christians.

[Admiral_Bobski]

Well, the LHC had its first successful power-up at 10.28 this morning, and we're all still here. Collisions are unlikely to take place for another few months but I'm not concerned. It's worth noting that the mathematics that predict the creation of mini black holes are precisely the same maths that predict their harmless evaporation. So either the maths are correct and black holes will be created and rapidly evaporate or else the maths are wrong and black holes won't even be created, let alone consume the Earth.

Best advice in the Universe: Don't Panic!

CB

[Cookie]

Will it make it snow this winter

we'll we're still here wouldn't it be funny if all that was left in the world was net weather members

[A.J]

we'll we're still here wouldn't it be funny if all that was left in the world was net weather members

A truly terrifying thought!

Looks like the cern team are preparing to send a particle beam back around the opposite way...slight delay due to a cooling problem.....

[Red Raven]

I don't think there's anything odd about that at all. Do you think these particles "just happened" to exist ? Now that would be odd !

I think you would be surprised how many scientist including in this field are practising Christians.

Simple answer is yes, when answered within the normal restraints of how we humans view the world around us. Outside of that those narrow restraints then the question it's self is flawed. Who created the particles that created the particles that created the nothing - round and round we can go - the artificial stop point of a 'creator' is a deeply flawed theory. The further back you go the more complex and more 'perfect' a creator must be which demands probabilities so massive that even an infinite universe is not big enough.

And am I surprised - no. Disappointed - yes.

[Roo]

And am I surprised - no. Disappointed - yes.

Don't be too upset RR: we (Mr Roo was an anti-matter physicist) know about +100 particle physicists and none are religious (and they include c.30 who work at Cern or who have used it): it really isn't that common!

I have to admit that I got very excited this morning when they switched it on: what an incredible achievement by all involved and certianly kicks the Mars fiasco into the long grass!

Edited September 10, 2008 by Roo

[Red Raven]

Don't be too upset RR: we (Mr Roo was an anti-matter physicist) know about +100 particle physicists and none are religious (and they include c.30 who work at Cern or who have used it): it really isn't that common!

I have to admit that I got very excited this morning when they switched it on: what an incredible achievement by all involved and certianly kicks the Mars fiasco into the long grass!

The truth will always prevail so I shall continue to be (subtly) optimistic .

I have no background in any kind of physics but I too was excited by this mornings achievement. It really could be the start of new dawn of understanding and despite all the popular complaints of cost I think this experiment is one of the most important adventures the human race has ever embarked on.

[PersianPaladin]

The truth will always prevail so I shall continue to be (subtly) optimistic .

I have no background in any kind of physics but I too was excited by this mornings achievement. It really could be the start of new dawn of understanding and despite all the popular complaints of cost I think this experiment is one of the most important adventures the human race has ever embarked on.

Nope....I'm more interested in world peace myself.

This is a waste of money.

[Wynn D Woo]

Nope....I'm more interested in world peace myself.

This is a waste of money.

Its cost over £5 billion, thats a lot of money which could have been put towards a cure for cancers etc and would benefit a lot more people than this ego trip for a few.

[Admiral_Bobski]

It's nice to see there are still a few open-minded people who want to know more about the world they live in...

CB

[Roo]

Its cost over £5 billion, thats a lot of money which could have been put towards a cure for cancers etc and would benefit a lot more people than this ego trip for a few.

Cern has produced a huge amount of spin off results that have helped all of us: for instance, did you know that the man who gave us the WWW developed it as a method for he and his colleagues to share data results? Or that the results have also been used to develop better medical imaging equipment?

Yes, it is expensive, but then we spend a huge amount of money on developing weaponry, capitalist development, etc: I know which use I'd rather have my cash put towards (and it is, after all, a worldwide effort so the money is actually very little).

Edited September 10, 2008 by Roo

[Red Raven]

Nope....I'm more interested in world peace myself.

This is a waste of money.

Well remove the question of a 'god' from the world and we may well achieve your goal.

And to put 5 billion in context its less than a dollar for every person in the world. The spin offs and benefits that will come from this will pay everyone back many times over.

or as the BBC puts it.

After the minor controversy about David Kings remarks on Monday morning about the value of CERN, we note that CERN costs quite literally peanuts. UK taxpayers spend £80M per year at CERN, whilst in 2006 (the last year for which we could find figures) we spent £120M on peanuts.

Edited September 10, 2008 by Red Raven

[The PIT]

Don't be too upset RR: we (Mr Roo was an anti-matter physicist) know about +100 particle physicists and none are religious (and they include c.30 who work at Cern or who have used it): it really isn't that common!

I have to admit that I got very excited this morning when they switched it on: what an incredible achievement by all involved and certianly kicks the Mars fiasco into the long grass!

Eek you mean they're Satanist instead. The end of the world is nigh.

[PersianPaladin]

Well remove the question of a 'god' from the world and we may well achieve your goal.

And to put 5 billion in context its less than a dollar for every person in the world. The spin offs and benefits that will come from this will pay everyone back many times over.

or as the BBC puts it.

Its still the sum result of 50 million people contributing to one cost. So its still a heck of a lot of money. And btw; that amount of millions on peanuts is certainly not going to the same manufacturer.