"The God Machine"

[Saxon]

I'll bite the bullet on this one. The Large Hadron Collider was turned on this week and since we're not 'dead' yet, I guess a lot of fear and anxiety of minature black holes have subsided. The last I heard, the machine will be publically unveiled on October 21st and experiments will begin shortly thereafter.

I've been following along with this experiment via news and word of mouth off and on for about a year now and I was wondering how many other people have been keeping track too. What's your opinion on the LHC and the amount of publicity/end-of-the-world theories it's seem to have drawn? Excited about the potential benefits scientists may reap for such an undertaking? Think a machine that smashes atoms is really cool? Or are you waking up every day to check this site (http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/) to make sure the world around you hasn't ended yet?

Share your thoughts and general impression from all of this. I've heard everything from the LHC would teach us more about the origin of the Big Bang and understanding our universe to potentially uncovering the mythical 'God Particle'. Truly, times really are changing.

[Ataraxis]

This is my rebuttal (http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/08/cern-rap-video-about-the-large-hadron-collider-creates-a-black-h/) on that site's opinion on the end of the world. It ended way before the LHC was even operational.

Anyway, only a beam circulated on the 10th, so no collision until October-November. Doomsayers are jumping the gun again.

I've been following this a bit erratically, but I'm eager to see what comes out of this. Only problem is that after the collision, they'll take who knows how long to go through the results. Last I heard, they were going to give worldwide access of the forthcoming collision data to all scientists, so hopefully that should speed things up.

I also enjoy that some people call the LHC Satan's Doomsday Weapon. Oh crap, now we know what gives (or doesn't give) matter its mass! We're doomed!

[Godhand]

That machine is so good at science.

[Letho]

I thought this (http://largehardoncollider.com/) is what you thought when you mentioned "The God Machine". ;)

Seriously now. I heard about LHC quite some time ago in some magazine in which one of the topics was "The things that would bring about the end of the world". Well, something like that, only sounding better. Anyways, it was up there with things like nukes and viruses and whatnot. Frankly, I don't think it would create something that would end life as we know it or whatever. Betting on a plague or something would be a better bet. I believe that Stephen Hawking said about the LHC that the effects they would create with it are very small when compared to what's going on in the universe. So I figure, when the machine reaches its full potential (whenever that happens), it would unravel something that scientists would find super-awesome, but would mean little to the regular folk. Like they would prove that there is something that might be anti-matter, but it would drastically change nothing.

How much electricity do you people think that thing needs anyways?

[ThatFacelessMan]

Apparently, sixty nations' worth.

[wizardmon599]

I've been keeping track for a while, and though it's very enlightening to science, I still firmly believe that it isn't a very good idea... I don't think scientists should be tampering with things like that.
Entirely my opinion, though. Maybe I'm a Doomsday crier? lol


Like Letho said, though, it won't change much for us.
Except the amount of knowledge floating around.
...Unless the world is destroyed in some freak aftermathy wrath... X3

[Ataraxis]

Actually, they already know anti-matter exist. They just want to know where the hell all of it went. As for changes, well, depending on if the answer to a certain question is 'yes' or 'no', we could be getting anti-gravity technology and star drives. Ha. Ha ha.

And apparently, some Wagner dude with a Physics minor says it'll also rip open a portal through the fabric of the universe and fling us into a dark dimension full of crushing despair and dinosaurs.

I don't pretend to speak for everyone, but that personally sounds awesome.

[Saxon]

I thought this (http://largehardoncollider.com/) is what you thought when you mentioned "The God Machine".


Personally, this parody (http://www.bbspot.com/News/2008/09/squirrel-smasher.html) of the LHC was my favorite.

[Saxon]

So, this just came in.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_re_eu/eu_big_bang

I understand why they were hesitant to talk about the LHC breaking down, given the climate they're operating under. But it raises the question of what we should be more afraid of. The 'end of the universe' or this thing staying together long enough for us to get our full use out of it?

[AdventWings]

Haha. So my "wait to see if it'll explode" on inauguration day wasn't just a hunch. And it had to be on Sept-11, too.

I'm slightly scared, but anticipating the final crash.

*Crosses his fingers*

[Letho]

I agree with whoever said in the article that these things happen. I mean, this was the first time something like this was built. It's only natural to expect that they won't get it right the first time around. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if several of these glitches occurred before they actually get it to work properly.

On the flip side, though, with so much money pumped into this thing, it should not only work, but bring an end to world's poverty and cure AIDS. :P

[Caden Law]

It's a shame George Carlin died. He'd have a fuckin' field day with this.

[Terminus Mortis]

I think it's an interesting idea, and with all the international funds being poured into it it had damned well better produce results.

But seriously, I think quite a few worthwhile discoveries could be made here. Nothing absolutely universe-shattering, but some things that could benefit mankind in some way.

Besides, it was just a transformer malfunction that occurred while the beam was shut off anyway. Not an unforeseeable circumstance, and nothing likely to wipe Europe off the map. Or perhaps annihilate the map itself.

In short, we're good.