Hashemian Blog: Particle Accelerator and Black Holes

I'm no scientist, but I do have a keen interest in science. That's why I was fascinated with the The Large Hadron Collider experiment that's about to be commenced at CERN in Switzerland. The basic idea is to replicate (or try to) the conditions moments after the alleged Big Bang by creating a high-energy collision of sub-atomic particles in a gargantuan tunnel and see what happens next, as in, if that results in any matter being created.

The reason I use the word "alleged" with Big Bang is that the phenomenon is really a theory. No one knows exactly how the world came to be and obviously that has been a dead-locked debate between creationists and evolutionists.

But before this cosmic experiment can reach its full momentum, there are a couple of earthly hurdles for CERN to clear in the form of lawsuits. Apparently a few scientists are worried that this experiment could create a man-made Black Hole which could envelope Earth and extinguish life as we know it. So they are trying to put a stop to the experiment to save mankind. Perhaps CERN should play the song "It's the End of the World as We Know It" by R.E.M. as they fire up the instruments. Or how about "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden?

Most of the scientific community dismisses such claims as baseless, but one wonders about the what-if factor. I suppose there's a slight probability that a cataclysm could occur as a result of the collision which may engulf our planet. If that comes to pass, I hope it's quick and painless. I'd hate to wake up one day and see a black hole encroaching on my yard, sucking in everything in its path as it expands. At current gas prices, I might think twice about jumping in my car and speeding away.

cern,black holes,big bang,quantum theory,physics rem
Labels: science
<Particle Accelerator and Black Holes>

// posted by rh

1 comments |

1 Comments:

By JTankers, at 22/5/08 8:04 AM

Low odds of danger? I'm not so sure...

CERN predicts the creation of up to 1 micro black hole per second in the Large Hadron Collider and references the 1999 RHIC safety study as proof of safety.
(Rebuttal: But the 1999 RHIC safety study only ruled out any possibility of colliders creating micro black holes based on knowledge at that time.)

CERN predicts that micro black holes will evaporate.
(Rebuttal: But Dr. Adam Helfer, professor Belinski and others have published peer reviewed papers arguing that black holes might only grow and never evaporate.)

CERN and Steven Hawking state that much greater energy cosmic ray impacts with Earth prove safety.
(Rebuttal: But a single rare high energy cosmic ray may involve a single proton impact with a relatively stationary particle and send all particles created safely into space, while collider collisions will involve thousands of protons (or protons to anti-protons) colliding head-on at 99.9999991% of the speed of light in temperatures lower than space traveling in opposite directions with powerful magnetic fields to help focus all the energy to a single point in space and particles created may be captured by Earth's gravity.)

CERN promised to create and release an new safety report before the end of 2007.
(Rebuttal: CERN's LHC Safety Assessment Group has also concluded that particles created by cosmic ray impacts with Earth's atmosphere are safely ejected into space and they do not assume that micro black holes will evaporate, but CERN never released any safety reports created by their LHC Safety Assessment Group.)

CERN asserts that there is no risk to the planet, even though the Large Hadron Collider will create conditions not seen in nature since the first fraction of a second after the big bang.
(Rebuttal: But the legal action, which the Harvard Crimson calls 'non-frivolous', contends a 75% probability of risk with very high degree of uncertainty and alleges that Chief Scientific Officer Mr. Engelen passed an internal memorandum to workers at CERN asking them regardless of personal opinion to affirm in all interviews that there were no risks involved, changing CERN's previous estimation of minimal risk.)

Dr. Otto Rossler of Germany, father of Chaos theory, calculates that a single micro black hole might accrete the Earth in years or decades. Dr. Raj Baldev, director of the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, warns "scientists are fully aware that it is not a project without a grave risk to the life of the Earth." .
(Rebuttal?: But CERN has not scientifically refuted these calculations, CERN only promised that if stable micro black holes are created, the experiment will be stopped. But unfortunately once a micro black hole is captured by Earth's gravity, it is already too late, so why stop then?)

JTankers
LHCConcerns.com
(Layperson's site to debate both sides of the issue)

Hashemian Blog

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Particle Accelerator and Black Holes

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