Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: andy20090 on 23/11/2009 01:28:59
-
A huge particle accelerator experiment is about to start and a tiny group of people believe it could spell the end of the world. But why are we so obsessed with the possibility of apocalypse?
The world will end. That much is a certainty. But it may not be soon. And in all probability it will not come to a shuddering, fiery, boiling, cataclysmic end on Wednesday this week.
-
A huge particle accelerator experiment is about to start and a tiny group of people believe it could spell the end of the world. But why are we so obsessed with the possibility of apocalypse?
The world will end. That much is a certainty. But it may not be soon. And in all probability it will not come to a shuddering, fiery, boiling, cataclysmic end on Wednesday this week.
I will not let world to end.
world will never end.
it might be after millions of years.
LHC is very important physics experiment.
Press or media or TV people making it look evil.
Trust our scientist. LHC is 100% safe.
-
...... But why are we so obsessed with the possibility of apocalypse?
You tell me!!!
The end of the world has been predicted time and time again through the ages, but we are still here (I think...... I'll just check....... Yep, still here).
Should the LHC cause a cataclysmic end to mankind, at least we won't have to buy any Christmas presents........ HUMBUG!!!
-
As long as there's doubt, everything will be OK, but I think that as soon as mankind is mathematically certain that the world will end in less than 10 years, that might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now there's a thought [:P]
-
As long as there's doubt, everything will be OK, but I think that as soon as mankind is mathematically certain that the world will end in less than 10 years, that might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now there's a thought [:P]
Mad people make prophecy.
they don't want to live in world .. and don't let other to live in this world.
they told that in 2008 world would end but never happened.
prophecy is entertainment for people.
-
At the same time, believing that the world will never end is just as unreasonable as predicting it will end in a few years or on a certain date. Accepting that something is 100% save is not wise. Nothing is that save or certain. It is better to keep looking for the last few percents, knowing the probability for their occurrence, and being prepared for failure or trouble.
The world is full of unreasonable people and some of them have a big audience. Others want a big audience and that may be the readers of a scientific journal in which they publish what they discovered. The pressure to be the first to publish new findings is not in the best interest of public safety. I expect individual scientists to go where others have not gone, but I am not sure if that is necessarily always desirable. Just because something that has not been done before can be done now, does not mean it should be done now or ever. We cannot keep on stumbling around opening every lid of every pot we find. Nothing wrong with being careful, asking for advice from others, and going forward slowly. But yes, you may be second or third to publish and not become known as the scientist who discovered "it".
-
Media and movie-making is probably one of the greatest parts or roles that plays. Take for instance the upcoming apocalyptic movie 2012...
-
Here's a personal experience I feel the need to share. There was a local radio station where i live that let people rent time slots, kind of like public access cable TV. Early in the morning there was this crackpot who claimed the end of the world was near and even set a date, March 1st or something like that. Well he preached his apocalyptic message until the end of February urging everyone to hide in his basement with him. (yes, his basement). On February 28th, his last broadcast, he left the airways screaming save yourself......He was promptly followed by a calm, soft spoke DJ who announced there was an open time slot in programming starting the next day!