In case you aren't aware of this behemoth, read up:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/03/time-machine-worlds-biggest-particle.html

To sum it up, this is the largest particle collider ever made, and it fires up in August 2008. The theory is that it will allow scientists to study space better, and help study how black holes work and what they're made of. Fairly useless stuff for our day to day lives, but ok,

There are 3 negative results that can happen from this device being used:

1 - Uncontrolled black hole - A black hole is created here on earth, that sucks in a pen, then maybe a book, then a table, then a room, then a state, a country, the entire world... pretty much bigtime suxxors for us all.

2 - Strangelets - Remember the story of King Midas? Everything he touched turned to gold. Strangelets have the Midas touch, but they turn everything they touch into lifeless grey goo. Not so bad, just avoid it, right? No. See, whatever touches a strangelet turns INTO a strangelet. So, if a strangelet is formed, it'd touch a desk, and the desk would become a strangelet too, then the floor, the room, the state, the country, etc. You get the point. The entire planet becomes grey playdough.

3 - Antimatter - For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Matter + antimatter + earth = PWNED Lets just say, you'll wish you were shot by a BFG instead.

Me, being the not so pro-science, see a lot more BAD in this than good. I don't think that the need to study black holes is as important as say, curing cancer or finding ways to clone food to prevent famine.

So my vote on the Hedrom Particle Collider is an emphatic NO.

Thoughts?

Well if the chances of these things happening are pretty low. Also I'm planning on getting a job in areas similar to these when I become an adult. So I'm all for it.

err what does this one matter if there are more already?

Its the first one capable of actually producing something like a black hole. It was designed for this specific intent.

Also it is pretty useful stuff. These small particles they are studying could lead to advancements in Energy production(VERY IMPORTANT), Computers,etc. Not to mention that even they said that the micro black holes move so fas they pass through the earth. And the strangelets break down automatically.

aren't those holes very unstable if they could create one

I'm all for any scientific endeavor if the risks are thought out and proper precautions are taken. They should be thinking of ways to contain and/or stop all of these phenomena, also I'd like to know the projected chance that any of these will occur. There are tons of microbiological experiments that could get out of control and kill a large number of people, so this kind of risk is not unprecedented, even though it is obviously on a much larger scale.

from what i saw, they said there is a 1 in 50mil chance of the definately dangerous black hole (there are also some black holes that only might be dangerous though).


personally, id like some more assurances that everyone wont die.

Yah thats what I heard, a 1 in 50 mil chance, which they say is a similar statistic to hitting the lottery, but with a grand prize of death for all. =D

btw, they are strictly using this device to study black holes. They dont need atom smashers of such a size for energy production or computers. Smaller ones exist for that use, ones that arent capable of producing a global catastrophe =)