Large Hadron Collider
-
First, the LHC is safe. The kind of reactions it is going to simulate happen throughout the universe and even regularly in our own atmosphere, if something terrible was going to happen it is reasonable to assume it would have happened in the last few Billion years. In comparison it is far more likely that a large, rogue asteroid will slam into the atmosphere and annihilate all life on Earth (something we would be powerless to stop, by the way).
Second, we may not know exactly what we are going to get from these experiments, but that does not mean they are not important. Without research into quantum physics and semiconductors we would not have the computers on which to have this discussion or, indeed, the vast majority of electronic devices today. Products from particle accelerators and nuclear reactors include isotopes used to treat cancer and the most important parts of smoke detectors and have therefore saved countless lives to date.
Computer development has also always been driven by scientific research; not just the high powered stuff (supercomputers are a key part of theoretical physics), but spin-offs, such as the web, which was invented at CERN as a way for scientists to share their data.
As long as the machine works, it does not matter what the results are, they will help us understand the universe better. Even failure can be useful, the Michelson-Morely experiment is one of the most famous scientific failures, but the importance of discovering that the theory of the ether (as in a fixed field the earth moved relative to, rather than the chemical compound) was the main reason Michelson was awarded the 1907 Nobel Prize. Any new information is useful, even if it shows that your theory is wrong.
Oh, and if you are worried that I just got everything from Wikipedia and New Scientist, then I should mention that my degree is in astrophysics and some of my friends are now working at CERN.
-
Wow James,
Nice first post, considering you've been a member for about half a year (if you don't mind me mentioning it)!
Also if you don't mind (and Jacob and the others this OT question); what brought you to the SU World? (Asking this as an also "non-related" person)
-
I get the feeling from this thread that this LHC thing is big news in Europe. Here on this side of the pond I hadn't heard of it until I saw this thread yesterday. To you European fans - would you care about this thing if it had been built in South America with non-European funding? I suspect this thing is rallying some pride in Europe - "look how we're cutting edge" - that gives it an emotional impact in Europe that is not happening here.
Today Google have featured it with their daily illustration.
-
Thats a good point ross, although i think its only fair really, as youve got the best space program
-
i just love the serendipity in science, that is what makes it such a wonderfully interesting subject.
anyone thinking this LHC is a bad idea is exceptionally naive.
penicillin, post-it notes, the microwave, the pacemaker, superglue.
all examples of small expeiments which have yielded more than the scientist was hoping for.
imagine what discoveries can be made from this experiment.personally, i am very excited by what could come of this, and i'm glad we live in a world where people are given the chance to experiment, learn, discover and inovate.
what if man had never discovered fire?mankind can only benefit from this, and we shall all be richer for the work these scientists have put in.
unless they do make a black hole, that would be a bummer.
pav
-
@remus said:
Thats a good point ross, although i think its only fair really, as youve got the best space program
Canada has a space program?
-
@unknownuser said:
I'am still here.....the particles they say are the size of a mosquito. So the thought of two mosquito's colliding together causing the world to end are pretty unlikely
They also say particles like these are always colliding anyway, without any bad side effects Hm... Neutrons are even smaller - and look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
-
I was thinking in terms of continents
-
Thanks Gaieus. Yes, I have just been lurking for a while, but someone asked for proof that people knew about the LHC, so I thought now might be the time to comment.
I have been into computers for some time and had to use them a fair amount at university (my project involved analysing 10GB of simulation data and I wasn't doing that by hand); I have also always had a bit of an interest in modelling (I used to do wargaming, but was mainly interested in converting the figures and making scenery), SU gave me a nice way to combine the two. As a big fan of automation I am also looking at Ruby, which I think I am starting to get the hang of.
Ross: I would still have been interested and would no doubt have read about it in Physics World, but it may have received less attention from the general media. I don't remember seeing that much about Fermilab over here, although I have a feeling there may have been something earlier in the year. Actually, in the scientific press I have read about Fermilab recently and I have to say that their financial situation is worrying, even more so that they are not alone.
-
Hi,
I think this provides an excellent answer as to "why".
@unknownuser said:
Q: Can you tell me why we are doing this experiment? I can understand that you are hoping to reveal the origins of mass by smashing tiny particles together but what advantages (besides increase in knowledge) do you expect to obtain from this?
@unknownuser said:
A: Experiment is the basis of the scientific method, without which there would be no modern world as we know it.
The quest to understand the smallest building blocks of nature and the forces that hold them together arguably began with the ancient Greeks, but it was only when we began to conduct experiments that we discovered the electron (1897), quantum mechanics (triggered by precision observations of the light emitted by elements when heated), X-rays, the atomic nucleus, radioactive decay... the list is practically endless.
Without these experimental discoveries, and the subsequent deepening of our understanding of the Universe, there would be no electronics, no silicon chips or transistors, no medical imaging technology, no nuclear power stations, no X-rays or chemotherapy treatments for cancer... again an almost endless list.
What this should teach us is two things. First, it is virtually impossible to deepen our understanding of Nature without experiments. Second, understanding Nature has never been a bad idea - indeed without the pioneers of the past century, our civilisation would be immeasurably poorer.
I do not know what the continuation of this long and illustrious quest will lead to, but I would be extremely surprised if a writer called upon to defend scientific enquiry at the turn of the 22nd Century does not point to the LHC as the foundation of a hundred new technologies, each considered essential to our quality of life.
Answer supplied by: Professor Brian Cox who is one of the LHC scientists at Cern.
A near perfect explanation in my view.
Oh boy, I really like this guy!
He finishes his interview with this gem:
@unknownuser said:
I am in fact immensely irritated by the conspiracy theorists who spread this nonsense around and try to scare people. This non-story is symptomatic of a larger mistrust in science, particularly in the US, which includes intelligent design amongst other things.
The only serious issue is why so many people who don't have the time or inclination to discover for themselves why this stuff is total crap have to be exposed to the opinions of these half-wits.
Regards
MR S -
-
That site still exists (I'm also a member though browse it very rarely). I also stumbled upon SU incidentally (I'm not an architect or such).
-
Latest news: They have beams going in both directions. So, fingers in ears!!
-
I just want to say that although the machine is working, they are just testing to see if they can accelerate particles to the required speeds, in both ways, clockwise and counter clockwise, so far i think they will only test clockwise. The particle collisions will only happen a few months from now, so don't worry lol. We still have some more months to live, hey maybe SU7 is out before the end of the world!
Check out this funny video http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=BXzugu39pKM&feature=related
I love this comment:
"The end of the world BETTER happen this time. I was very disapointed when Y2K went to sh#t." -
I'm still here by the way, so I think our fears have been for naught.
Conspiracy theory . ..How do we know it's really down there? I mean . .who gets to see it. they faked the moon landings. couldn't they have faked this as well. they say it's 100M down. ..but IS IT???
AND besides .. it's French . .. how reliable could it be? Any of you guys ever own a Peugeot?
-
yeah i have, it never once broke down, despite being second hand, and with 100,000 on the clock.
my fiat on the other hand, now that broke down most weeks, and it was brand new.
bloody italians <--- first wink i have ever used!pav
-
-
The suicides have already begun... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26641652/
This really is just sad that people will by into this "big bang" theory thinking it is going to destroy the earth...
-
Suicides? Already? They didn't wait for the comet?
-
Darn . ..My mom told me I was the God Particle.
Advertisement