Some quick background information for those who haven't: The LHC, built by CERN and spanning 27 kilometers, will be the largest particle collider ever built. It aims to accelerate two proton beams at (almost) light-speed in opposite directions, causing them to collide and - hopefully - produce some kind of result. Many theoretical particles which remain currently unproven are expected to surface, take for example the notorious Dark Matter or the "God-Particle" Higg's Boson.
Should they fail to appear however, the Standard Model and even the entire concept of quantum physics might have to be scrapped and taken back to the drawing board. And while that certainly might be good news for students, it definitely won't be for the rest of us.
Significantly, unlike other scientific research that mostly goes 'under the rader' of the media, the LHC has largely enjoyed extensive media coverage as well as it's fair share of criticism and controversy. CERN has even recently sent a speaker to TED in a bid to increase it's popularity and create a more politically positive image.
TED Talk about the LHC:
So what does all this mean for the rest of us? What are the possible implications of such a breakthrough? There are many issues that deserves mention.
The root of the controversy lies in the possibility of the LHC creating a black hole in the middle of France which, of course, means that the rest of us will be sucked in as well. There are also other variations of sorts, but all generally point to the end of humanity.
Some may then point out that the odds of a global disaster are really just one in fifty million - extremely small and almost negligible, but the statistics provide cold comfort when one takes a deeper look into the issue:
Interestingly enough, the LHC provides a unique dilemma that has not surfaced since the invention of Nuclear Energy: How should authorities manage risk when when the odds are exceedingly small but yet carries the catastrophic potential of widespread destruction, and in this case, global annihilation?
Regrettably, if the case of Nuclear Energy provides any indicator, the global community is collectively still not ready or united enough to tackle such challenges. Some form of real global leadership truly is needed, but with international organizations such as the UN largely ineffective and countries such as the United States or those in Western Europe not what they once were, the prospect of that is looking bleak indeed.
So are we all going to die? Maybe. Then again, probably not. Chances are things will proceed onwards in life as if nothing has ever changed. What is definitely certain, however, is that the LHC will leave it's footmark in history as a turning point in the realm of particle physics forever. So whatever you do, don't miss the events that will unfold in the upcoming months ahead - for they will hold much more meaning to the scientific world than any other event has ever came close to matching. -Mr Hans
Update: The LHC has started operations on 10th September 2008.
Learn more on the LHC:
09/09/2008: Will The World End Tomorrow?
10/09/2008: Don’t get too excited. LHC will probably take a year to warm up.
The root of the controversy lies in the possibility of the LHC creating a black hole in the middle of France which, of course, means that the rest of us will be sucked in as well. There are also other variations of sorts, but all generally point to the end of humanity.
Some may then point out that the odds of a global disaster are really just one in fifty million - extremely small and almost negligible, but the statistics provide cold comfort when one takes a deeper look into the issue:
- Due to diminishing returns, particle accelerators will only continue to get bigger and bigger. Consider the "Super LHC" already under construction. As science progresses onwards, society is inevitably going to see a lot of more drastic physics experiments that will undeniably continue to carry heavy risks. And for better or for worse, we are going to slowly and steadily experience the direct costs and implications of these scientific research. If something goes wrong, we're all going to experience the consequences.
- Also, if a one in fifty million chance of a global disaster is deemed too small to justify restricting the use of the LHC, what about a one in forty million chance? Or a one in a ten million chance? Or one in a million? It's a slippery slope argument when justifying the LHC's use that way; the line needs to be clearly drawn before the odds becomes more and more dangerously high with each new experiment surpassing it's predecessor in size.
Interestingly enough, the LHC provides a unique dilemma that has not surfaced since the invention of Nuclear Energy: How should authorities manage risk when when the odds are exceedingly small but yet carries the catastrophic potential of widespread destruction, and in this case, global annihilation?
Regrettably, if the case of Nuclear Energy provides any indicator, the global community is collectively still not ready or united enough to tackle such challenges. Some form of real global leadership truly is needed, but with international organizations such as the UN largely ineffective and countries such as the United States or those in Western Europe not what they once were, the prospect of that is looking bleak indeed.
So are we all going to die? Maybe. Then again, probably not. Chances are things will proceed onwards in life as if nothing has ever changed. What is definitely certain, however, is that the LHC will leave it's footmark in history as a turning point in the realm of particle physics forever. So whatever you do, don't miss the events that will unfold in the upcoming months ahead - for they will hold much more meaning to the scientific world than any other event has ever came close to matching. -Mr Hans
Update: The LHC has started operations on 10th September 2008.
Learn more on the LHC:
09/09/2008: Will The World End Tomorrow?
10/09/2008: Don’t get too excited. LHC will probably take a year to warm up.
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