Debate LHC: Doomsday Machine? Use it or Not?

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Pigglez, Jun 29, 2008.

  1. !nikheizen

    !nikheizen Ancient
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    No.
    It won't doom us, there is no single thing that will constitute the demise of the human race in the foreseeable future.
    Global warming is the closest doomsday theory, but its really all to sell papers and ****.
    I don't think stuff like this is really worth debate. =/
     
  2. Pegasi

    Pegasi Ancient
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    Whilst I think it may be possible for the LHC to create a black hole, its a really minute risk though, not even really worth scientific consideration seeing as there is technically a chance that a black hole will appear on earth for no apparent reason.
    The LHC is searching for the Higgs Boson amongst other things, a theoretical particle that is supposed to imbue other particles with mass, it could be the key to finding the true relationship between energy and matter, which could have massive benefits for humanity eg. totally clean electricity.
    What DtL said about there not being enough matter on the earth to start a black hole seems pretty sound, but if the Higgs Boson comes into play, giving out mass here and there, I suppose it could be possible, but I don't know nearly enough about the technicalities of it.
    Sorry, no citation, this post was cobbled together out of my own understanding of nuclear physics and casual conversations with my physics teacher.

    As far as that article goes, all it really proves is that pretty much everything has skeptics somewhere, people who make it their life's work to ruin the work of others. No scientists of any real notoriety are skeptical of the LHC, and I trust the ones who back it. You can't halt progress because of those nay-sayers, or we wouldn't even have had the industrial revolution.

    But seriously, the LHC at CERN is one of the best things that's happened in science for years, it could be of huge benefit to the world at large, so quit ur whinin'
     
    #22 Pegasi, Jul 9, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2008
  3. Linubidix

    Linubidix Ancient
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    "We must further our research, even if it means obliteration."
    I think that's their mentality
     
  4. Pegasi

    Pegasi Ancient
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    No, their mentality is that we can't sit around doing nothing because of what might happen. If it were a serious probability then I would agree that its better to be safe, but the probability is only there on the basis that literally anything might happen, so on that principle we should abandon science altogether, I don't think so...
     
    #24 Pegasi, Jul 9, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2008
  5. Linubidix

    Linubidix Ancient
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    We should abandon the things that could possibly kill us all.
    Not science all together, you know you can have things in moderation.
    You dont have to eat all of the cake, just the bits you know not to be poison.
     
  6. Pegasi

    Pegasi Ancient
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    Yeh but that's my point, if we abandon this we may as well abandon science, the chances of this killing us are only the same as the whole earth being wiped out by a freak black whole that isn't caused by the LHC.
    I agree that we should be wary of things that might kill us, but this has the same chance of doing that as just sitting around does, nothing is achieved by ignoring this massive avenue of science.
     
    #26 Pegasi, Jul 9, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2008
  7. Zendarrun

    Zendarrun Ancient
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    LHC will not make black holes capable of doing ANYTHING. why, because all the matter on earth, mars, and jupiter combined could not make a black hole that lasts more than 0.000001 seconds or larger than a paper clip.

    LHC smashes atoms into eachother, it does not implode stars.

    If you want doomsday scenarios, click this link. Go ahead, it wont kill ya (yet)

    WELCOME TO EXIT MUNDI: A COLLECTION OF END-OF-WORLD SCENARIOS

    i find it funny
     
    #27 Zendarrun, Jul 11, 2008
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2008
  8. Fiatluxmortem94

    Fiatluxmortem94 Ancient
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    To add on to Randal Scandals remark, remember Hawking radiation? Black holes emit energy in the form of X-rays and gamma rays. They emit the radiation by consuming THEMSELVES and emitting the created energy. The black holes created would be so small that the Black holes would exist for mere milliseconds before "burning" out. The idea that the Earth will be devoured is purely ridiculous. If it happens though I will admit you were right... Hopefully you aren't though. Haha.
     
  9. many popes

    many popes Ancient
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    Yea black holes don't tend to choose sides lol
     
  10. Metallic Snake

    Metallic Snake Ancient
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    i dont think risking the world is worth "seeing new things". no black whole for u
     
  11. Warlord Alpha

    Warlord Alpha Ancient
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    Dark matter doesnt have to exist for black holes to.

    Ironically enough, the concept of dark matter was meant to fill the void, the parts of space that should be devoid of stuff but arent. Its more of a "hey look, there has to be something here, but if there is, it obviously doesnt effect much, so lets make something up, find some minute evidence to support it, and then treat it as a theory until something better comes along"

    Half of that is what science is, but, reguardless, there isnt going to be any black hole as far as im concerned. do you understand how much power would be needed? Im talking like all the matter (use E=MC2 and it makes sense) in the solar system times like 50 if we were going to make a black hole big enough to swallow the earth.

    Even IF it creates a black hole, it probably wouldnt even be. maybe it would produce antimatter, but that would be gone instantly. They even said in the article that the MICRO BLACK HOLE would instantly evaporate.

    And BTW, we have been doing this for a LONG time. As a matter of fact, in the articale they talk about this particle splitting phenomenon happening in nature all around us. I dont think this would create a black hole if none of the other colliders have ever shown indications of antimatter or pieces of space of supercompressed dimensionality.


    Like i said, it all just seems too unlikely and far fetched. The only way i see it happening is if it happens on december 21, 2012 or if some previously unknown particle kills us all.

    Once again, unlikely.
     
  12. chrstphrbrnnn

    chrstphrbrnnn Guardian
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    But, we may find it, allow for space travel and increased life spans, travel through space, find aliens, start a war and all die...or ignite a halo..zomg!
     
  13. Vengeful C

    Vengeful C Ancient
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    Honestly, The idea of a black hole scares the sh** out of me. I would rather not die at such a young age. But as a lot of other people have said it could be a technological breakthrough that the world needs. Also I have a question considering it is August, any dates on when the testing is?
     
  14. RadiantRain

    RadiantRain Ancient
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    #34 RadiantRain, Aug 5, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2008
  15. Tex

    Tex Ancient
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    This is the quote from your "this disproves all black holes theories" page.

    It doesn't disprove anything...it merely shows their side of it. Which, they are completely biased on this situation, they feel that it is their life's goal to answer the questions that have yet been answered, and the buyer of this program, is not going to allow them to waste six billion dollars...even if it means the cost of the planet.
     
  16. helzmessenger

    helzmessenger Ancient
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    well i think they should do this because if it succeds, like so many others have said, would greatly benifit mankind... and if it fails a black hole is so dense that we would be crushed smaller than an atom before we knew what happened (and die instantly might i add) so i dont think people would care much then :). but then again it would be nic for the human race not to die out and continue living my life...
     
  17. Willmatic

    Willmatic Ancient
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    Not that i disagree with the whole research but how will we advance our technology with this? sorry im just curious. And isnt it august already? when does it start?
     
  18. RadiantRain

    RadiantRain Ancient
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    October 21!... We are all going to die soon.. It should be on a link in this page... Tex has it...
     
  19. ZANDER1994

    ZANDER1994 Ancient
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    Dark matter does exist, and it is certainly possible that a black hole could form from the experiment. It pisses me off when people say it doesn't and could never happen. It's probably hard for some people to understand, but I've read up on this ALOT, so when i hear comments like that, I automatically place you in my stupid box. It's like a noob trying to tell you there's no such thing as host advantage in gears of war. Idiots. I love to read books about it, and really, my family values technology and understanding it so much, that we probably are one of the .0001% of people that know how it works. It could happen, and yes I'm worried. I check up on it every other day.
     
  20. wiggums

    wiggums Guest

    i heard about htis earlier in science class. its not worth the risk of everyones lives
     

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