digg

Join DiggAbout

Donkeys and Elephants and Delegates,oh my!
Check out the most popular Elections 2008 content on Digg.

See the original image at nowpublic.com

The Potential for Danger in Particle Collider Experiments

nowpublic.com — If all the risks for the LHC were added, we estimate an overall risk of destroying the entire planet Earth to be between 11% and 25%.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • jontalisman, on 06/29/2008, -5/+9If a mini black hole were created, it would be drawn by gravity toward the center of the planet, absorbing matter along the way and devouring the entire planet within minutes.

    http://www.lhcdefense.org/what_scientist.php
    • sgiffy, on 06/29/2008, -0/+4No it would not. The same science that says mini black holes are possible, says they will evaporate almost instantly.
  • lekahe, on 06/29/2008, -1/+3Impossible!
  • stonebear, on 06/29/2008, -1/+2"Everyone should leave Geneva.
    Saturn will change from gold to iron,
    The reverse positive ray will annihilate all.
    There will be signs in the sky beforehand."
    ~ Nostradamus
  • mejaredme, on 06/29/2008, -0/+3That's intense.
  • yayintertubes, on 06/29/2008, -0/+2Kinda puts the whole Iran threat into perspective no?
  • sleepyjjk, on 06/29/2008, -2/+4Scientists also thought that the nuclear bomb would destroy the whole world because the particles would never stop colliding (in other words, resulting in the whole world exploding).

    Honestly, these fears aren't really realistic. If I remember correctly, when this whole controversy first started, a bunch of lawyers (not particle physicists mind you) thought that the world was ending.

    Now, we have these people from the "Risk Evaluation Forum" (http://www.risk-evaluation-forum.org/anon1.htm) saying that the world is going to end. What are their credentials? Do they have a PhD in particle physics? How do we know what they're saying is valid?

    And if the LHC really did destroy the whole world, well, at least we went out with a bang and with the pursuit of knowledge. I much prefer that than destroying ourselves over stupid wars and conflicts that could easily be avoided.
  • hollywoodphony, on 06/29/2008, -0/+4I'm not sure how to feel about this. I'm carrying a lot of credit card debt and it would almost be worth it to screw those bastards out of their money.
  • veganima, on 06/29/2008, -1/+2Well said sleepyjjksleepyjjk. Do they have a PhD in particle physics? No, they are afraid Religions will be proved wrong, and they will. Science (knowledge) has always been the enemy. Fear is their BUSINESS.
  • MidnightRadio, on 06/29/2008, -0/+1i fear black holes
  • satanatnmtedu, on 06/29/2008, -1/+2*****.
  • sgiffy, on 06/29/2008, -1/+3uh-huh. Just another article demonstrating that a little knowledge of science is a silly thing.
  • bearwoman121, on 06/29/2008, -1/+1 I think they should just leave everything well enough alone.
  • davidamerland, on 06/29/2008, -0/+1You know I wish they could just make their mind up about it! Just last week I dugg an article which assured us that now this would never happen and the Earth would keep on going the day after they turn it on. I just don't know, should I go for that 25% interest short-term $400,000 loan or not?
  • eliot2000, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3If I had to die, and I guess I do sooner or later- plunging down a hole into the center of the earth toward a singularity and meeting my end at the point where physics begins to break its own rules, where time slows to a standstill and the rest of the universe goes flying by- That's pretty badass.
    On the other hand, I have some vacation time coming up.
  • Justavian, on 06/30/2008, -1/+0This is ridiculous. There's no need to even get into to too much detail to debunk these risks. It's simple. Galactic rays (protons, electrons, and ions) are striking our upper atmosphere with more energy than LHC can produce. How often are we seeing black holes devouring the earth from those collisions? A black hole without sufficient mass will evaporate in a microsecond. The LHC will be unable to supply enough energy for that mass to be created (remember that colliding particles doesn't just break them apart - the energy that goes into the system causes matter to actually congeal - resulting in much more matter than the two particles colliding). The risk analysis is preposterous. The risk of LHC creating a black hole that swallows the earth is zero percent.
  • 360news, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2Were uckedf in the long run either way.

    Either now, or some time in the future, someone somewhere is going to do something (that in hindsight) was not a good evolutionary move for mankind.

    / i am in a cynical mood today
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.