Controversey Surrounding World's Largest Particle Collider

[Morality Games]

You can check for yourself.

Doomsday fears spark lawsuit - Cosmic Log - msnbc.com

Sounds like the phycisists have things well in hand. What do you guys think?

[Jack]

Similar fears concerned those who developed the atomic bomb.

To break the tension, Fermi began offering anyone listening a wager on "whether or not the bomb would ignite the atmosphere, and if so, whether it would merely destroy New Mexico or destroy the world."

The Trinity Test, July 16, 1945

Humanity seems destined to kill itself off one way or another. Wouldn't it be more noble to do so in the quest for knowledge than through wars over whose imaginary friend is better? (Granted, if we successfully eliminate mankind, no one will be around to appreciate our nobility)

[Kite]

Are there extra dimensions of space out there that we haven't yet detected?

Half Life and Half Life 2. I rest my case.

[Morality Games]

Humanity seems destined to kill itself off one way or another. Wouldn't it be more noble to do so in the quest for knowledge than through wars over whose imaginary friend is better? (Granted, if we successfully eliminate mankind, no one will be around to appreciate our nobility)

This reminds me uncomfortably of certain lines of reasoning which devalue human life in favor obeying God's will, although I suspect you would be less supportive of the experiment if there was a statistically higher chance it would destroy the world.

Anyway, based on the kind of responses I have seen outside this forum, I think it is kind of silly and hypocritical that the same people who appear to be biting their nails over this experiment are the sames ones who scoff at mention of Global Warming existing (cough), not being in large part due to human contribution (cough, cough), or not much of a threat in any case (COUGH, COUGH, HACK, COUGH).

[MplsBison]

Oh christ...


you honestly think they are not going to turn it on after they spent billions (or whatever it was) to build it?

[Kite]

Quote by: MplsBison Oh christ... you honestly think they are not going to turn it on after they spent billions (or whatever it was) to build it?

If its going to bring the Combine to earth they damn well better not.

Risking global destruction in the pursuit of knowledge, that seems to be a bit overboard.
Our entire planet could be crushed into a singularity. Then again, we might learn how to manipulate gravity or interstellar travel. However I think that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

[MplsBison]

Blah blah blah.


Hurry up and turn it on before more dingbats try to limit human progress.

[Kite]

Yes lets just plunge headlong into a world threatening scenario. What could go wrong?

[another day]

Quote by: MplsBison Blah blah blah. Hurry up and turn it on before more dingbats try to limit human progress.

How is it human progress? How will this benefit humanity? To me it seems nothing more then selfish intellectual curiosity.

[nyculla]

Quote by: Morality Games You can check for yourself. Doomsday fears spark lawsuit - Cosmic Log - msnbc.com Sounds like the phycisists have things well in hand. What do you guys think?

that is wild, thanks for the link!

[nyculla]

Quote by: another day How is it human progress? How will this benefit humanity? To me it seems nothing more then selfish intellectual curiosity.

We would be living in caves if not for "selfish intellectual curiosity."

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: nyculla We would be living in caves if not for "selfish intellectual curiosity."

Well, I won't deny there is a certain truth to that, but does there not come a time when the risks outweigh the benefits?


And should one person, or governing body be allowed to make that decision for the entire planet?

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: Milton Bradley Well, I won't deny there is a certain truth to that, but does there not come a time when the risks outweigh the benefits? And should one person, or governing body be allowed to make that decision for the entire planet?

Welcome to the real world.

Nobody care for individual people anymore. Your just a statistic who's goal is to pay taxes the eventually die.

[Kite]

Quote by: HelioPrime Welcome to the real world. Nobody care for individual people anymore. Your just a statistic who's goal is to pay taxes the eventually die.

If that supercollider makes a black hole then it wont really matter if you've paid your taxes will it? This threatens the entirety of the species, not just the poor or the unpowerful. You cant pay off a cosmic singularity.

Also, I'm all for furthering our knowledge in the ways of science, but when it comes to playing around with the building blocks of physics I think we need to draw a line and say 'lets stop before we break something'.

[MplsBison]

Quote by: another day To me it seems nothing more then selfish intellectual curiosity.

Yep. People laughed at Maxwell for his stupid equations.


Now, every single electrical thing we have is because of his equations.




Without knowledge there is no point in living.

[MplsBison]

Quote by: Kite when it comes to playing around with the building blocks of physics I think we need to draw a line and say 'lets stop before we break something'.

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

[LadiesMan217]

Anyway, based on the kind of responses I have seen outside this forum, I think it is kind of silly and hypocritical that the same people who appear to be biting their nails over this experiment are the sames ones who scoff at mention of Global Warming existing (cough), not being in large part due to human contribution (cough, cough), or not much of a threat in any case (COUGH, COUGH, HACK, COUGH).

Well of course you know this road goes both ways, I find it equally interesting that those who shout from the rooftops that if we don't drive hybrids and turn off our lights we will all be living under water in 50 years have little concern about running the risk of vaporizing our planet in an instant.

[Affinity]

Quote by: Kite Half Life and Half Life 2. I rest my case.

I don't get it.

As for the concerns, I trust the minds of the most brilliant men in the world playing with their new science toy that will yield great benefits to mankind over those who do nothing to benefit society. The people operating particle accelerators have centuries of knowledge, decades of experience, and are fully capable of using the machine without blowing up, sucking in, or frying the Earth.

[Domino]

The people operating particle accelerators have centuries of knowledge, decades of experience, and are fully capable of using the machine without blowing up, sucking in, or frying the Earth.

If all their experience could assure any such thing, they wouldn't need to run the experiments. They are exploring, and no soul on this planet knows what they will find.

"Shucks, we made a black hole. Someone flip on them monopoles, will ya?"

They're not exactly prepared for anything.

[Affinity]

Quote by: Domino "Shucks, we made a black hole. Someone flip on them monopoles, will ya?" They're not exactly prepared for anything.

Seeing as how creating artificial black holes is part of the experiments they would be doing I'm confident they are able to take the proper measures to make it safe.