Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: royandroy on 13/06/2008 17:12:45

Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: royandroy on 13/06/2008 17:12:45
Are we going to be consumed by a black hole as a result of the upcoming experiment?




[MOD - subject edited to make it a question to be consistent with forum policy. Please help us keep the forum shipshape by trying to do this in future posts - CS]
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: JP on 13/06/2008 17:17:23
No.  There are particles zipping around the universe at far higher energies than anything we can make in a lab, even the LHC.  These particles have been hitting the earth for ages, and we haven't been eaten by a black hole yet, so the LHC won't be a problem. 
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: royandroy on 13/06/2008 17:21:36
Zipping but not colliding? (Edit)  In a confined space.....

Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: JP on 13/06/2008 17:48:06
Some of them will hit the earth and collide with particles that make up our atmosphere, or our earth.  It will happen more rarely than in the confined experiment at the LHC, but if these collisions could make permanent black holes, the earth's had ~4.5 billion years of particles colliding with it in which to do so.  Since we're still here, we should be ok.
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: lyner on 13/06/2008 19:21:20
there's much more to worry about when you are driving your car.
Try to get a handle on perceived and actual risks before you start being bothered by such things.
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: lightarrow on 13/06/2008 19:52:27
We have the opportunity to verify a theory I have about intelligent extraterrestrial life: we don't have any prove of their existence because it doesn't exist: they all have extinguished when they reached the technology to conduct particle's experiments like this one...   [:o]
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: lyner on 13/06/2008 22:05:59
I look forward to your theory being disproved, lightarrow!
If it is proved then ciao.
Title: Re: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: graham.d on 13/06/2008 23:13:20
It may well be much more dangerous driving a car, Sophie, even though I use nuclear physics ideas in my driving. When approaching a crossroads I drive through as fast as possible to reduce my collision cross section. Some people say it is wrong to do this, but when they have recovered, I explain the physics to them. I don't find many travel with me any more though :-)
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 14/06/2008 05:28:44
It may well be much more dangerous driving a car, Sophie, even though I use nuclear physics ideas in my driving. When approaching a crossroads I drive through as fast as possible to reduce my collision cross section. Some people say it is wrong to do this, but when they have recovered, I explain the physics to them. I don't find many travel with me any more though :-)

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fscared%2F3.gif&hash=236cb168b8dbd1d547488b326e5a9f66)
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: lightarrow on 14/06/2008 07:55:33
It may well be much more dangerous driving a car, Sophie, even though I use nuclear physics ideas in my driving. When approaching a crossroads I drive through as fast as possible to reduce my collision cross section. Some people say it is wrong to do this, but when they have recovered, I explain the physics to them. I don't find many travel with me any more though :-)

Your strategy should be correct if cars (and drivers) were like particles, unaware of what happens and so unable to modify their speed and trajectory in the presence of other particles, but since you are not a particle, a better strategy should be to drive at lower speed and to brake when you approach another car...
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: LeeE on 14/06/2008 13:39:13
graham.d - I seriously hope you were joking.
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: royandroy on 14/06/2008 18:31:54
Boy oh boy! It seems that even the LHC won't be able to destroy egos! For a more objective forum on this important subject see http://www.newscientist.com/commenting/browse.ns?articleId=dn13555&page=14&referer=
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: lyner on 14/06/2008 21:05:08
O-B-J-E-C-T-I-V-E ??
This is the Naked Scientist, chum.
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: LeeE on 15/06/2008 15:37:20
Of course the LHC will be able to destroy egos - you just have to drop it on them from a sufficient height.
Title: Will the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) spawn a black hole that will destroy us?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 16/06/2008 08:07:42
I think experiments at the LHC will deflate a lot of egos. Some theories will be proven to be incorrect so the scientists who have championed them will have to eat humble pie.

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Feating1%2F6.gif&hash=a450ca01e063fbae4023692155f049f9)