[paulg]

My favourite two comments on the LHC:

http://hasthelargeha...heworldyet.com/

Junior scientists sacked for using Large Hadron Collider to play conkers

Paul

[Gerben42]

If it would destroy the planet, which is not really possible, it would explain why we haven't made contact with alien life forms yet. Probably they also built a large hadron collider

I would prefer space exploration to funding either Iraq wars and LHCs, though. There's like gazillions of Euros to be made by space exploration. It's just that the time until your investment pays off is decades...

"Foreign aid" would be even better of course, when done right. But people have been discussing about the right way for decades

[vuroth]

With all the unintended/unexpected benefits scientific research has windfalled to us over the last century, I'm all for spending even more on scientific enterprises like the LHC than we do now.

V

[Al_U_Card]

The beauty of long term investment in science is that in 2108 they will say,

"It only cost US $4 billion, barely the price of a middle-class home.....if anyone could afford that either...."

[gwnn]

Who would be dumb enough to predict the end of the world? The only measurable outcome possible is global ridicule.

[andy_h]

http://au.news.yahoo...ewshome/5007823
...
if only people understood the physics behind it rather than just randomly complain..

[brianshark]

I have been googling it lately, and I can't find anything that looks like a comprehensive list of all the doomsday predictions. But we hear about it when one comes up. Various philosophers of old came up with ballpark theories. The Mayan calendar expires in 2012 which means people theorise the world will end then. People thought the world might end in the year 2000 simply because it's a nice round number. The fears about the LHC destroying the earth are not all that different than the fears that the first trinity test (nuclear bomb) would ignite the world's atmosphere.

As for the economy of the LHC, well history have shown that investment in blind experimentation has often resulted in unexpcted rewards. I'm sure that this will be no different.

Back when we realised that rocks were actually composed of different materials such as iron and salt and coal, it heralded a new era of metallurgy. When we studied the metals and materials more closely and realised that they were made up of elements, the science of chemistry came along. The we studied elements to reveal they were made up of atoms with electrons and nucleii, which led to the field of electronics and electromagnetism. Then we realised the atoms were made up of protons and neutrons which gave us the power of nuclear energy as well as more understanding on radiation used for sterilization, chemotherapy, smoke detectors, etc.

So whose to say that splitting the protons and neutrons further won't achieve more understanding about science and lead to new technologies.

I remember reading somewhere that the total cost of the LHC was something like 0.1% of the world's combined GDP. (Need to check that figure)

But if so, then surely it is a worthwhile investment for something that could be as significant if not moreso than the moonlanding, the splitting of the atom, the discovery of the electron, etc.

[pclayton]

gwnn, on Sep 11 2008, 06:36 AM, said:

Who would be dumb enough to predict the end of the world? The only measurable outcome possible is global ridicule.

Yeah but it sells books and adds to the collection plate.

[y66]

re: http://hasthelargeha...heworldyet.com/

a timestamp would be nice.

[PassedOut]

y66, on Sep 11 2008, 10:43 AM, said:

re: http://hasthelargeha...heworldyet.com/

a timestamp would be nice.

Interesting comment in the HTML:

Quote

<!-- if the lhc actually destroys the earth & this page isn't yet updated please email mike@frantic.org to receive a full refund -->

[Aberlour10]

Does the bridge game exist in the black holes, this is the main guestion:

[NickRW]

Aberlour10, on Sep 11 2008, 04:16 PM, said:

Does the bridge game exist in the black holes, this is the main guestion:

Yeah. I went there the other day. The cards weigh a lot, but the people have big muscles

Nick

[Al_U_Card]

Aberlour10, on Sep 11 2008, 11:16 AM, said:

Does the bridge game exist in the black holes, this is the main guestion:

And hesitations are always allowed...

[vuroth]

Aberlour10, on Sep 11 2008, 11:16 AM, said:

Does the bridge game exist in the black holes, this is the main guestion:

All I know is that my brain sometimes disappears into one while I'm playing....

[Al_U_Card]

vuroth, on Sep 11 2008, 02:23 PM, said:

Aberlour10, on Sep 11 2008, 11:16 AM, said:

Does the bridge game exist in the black holes, this is the main guestion:

All I know is that my brain sometimes disappears into one while I'm playing....

Better than the "dark space" when you're not....lol