Scientists: Nothing to fear from atom-smasher

[Flashermac]

MEYRIN, Switzerland - The most powerful atom-smasher ever built could make some bizarre discoveries, such as invisible matter or extra dimensions in space, after it is switched on in August.

 

[color:red]But some critics fear the Large Hadron Collider could exceed physicists' wildest conjectures: Will it spawn a black hole that could swallow Earth? Or spit out particles that could turn the planet into a hot dead clump?[/color]

 

 

 

Ridiculous, say scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known by its French initials CERN â?? some of whom have been working for a generation on the $5.8 billion collider, or LHC.

 

"Obviously, the world will not end when the LHC switches on," said project leader Lyn Evans.

 

David Francis, a physicist on the collider's huge ATLAS particle detector, smiled when asked whether he worried about black holes and hypothetical killer particles known as strangelets.

 

"If I thought that this was going to happen, I would be well away from here," he said.

 

The collider basically consists of a ring of supercooled magnets 17 miles in circumference attached to huge barrel-shaped detectors. The ring, which straddles the French and Swiss border, is buried 330 feet underground.

 

The machine, which has been called the largest scientific experiment in history, isn't expected to begin test runs until August, and ramping up to full power could take months. But once it is working, it is expected to produce some startling findings.

 

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[Bangkoktraveler]

This is a hard one to swallow. But there is the possibility that some day, the unforseen will happen. Then what?

[Torneyboy]

But some critics fear the Large Hadron Collider could exceed physicists' wildest conjectures: Will it spawn a black hole that could swallow Earth? Or spit out particles that could turn the planet into a hot dead clump?

 

 

The end is nie...

[Faustian]

I'm very excited by this, been waiting for a long time...things such as these could change our understanding of everything. A lot better than fighting wars over some oil...

 

Particle physics/quantum physics (along with cosmology) are my favourite things to read about. Constantly producing amazing insights into our existence. My only regret is that I wont be alive to see us go where we should have already gone....

 

Can't wait.

[chelseafan]

Why is it being build underground if its completely safe?

 

Having said that, this could yeild some of the most important secrets of science this century.

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"Why is it being build underground if its completely safe?"

 

I would imagine for practical reasons. Keep in mind it is 17 miles long and would certainly have cut through roads and possibly houses/towns.

 

Sanuk!

 

[Mekong]

Don't forget that CERN has already given us the World Wide Web.

[Khun_Kong]

Why is it being build underground if its completely safe?

 

Having said that, this could yeild some of the most important secrets of science this century.

 

I'm thinking that it might be to shield the detectors from the naturally occurring particles that are normally bombarding our planet.

 

[Faustian]

Built underground for practicality reasons and to facilitate shielding, although particles such as neutrinos are able to pass right through the earth.