End Of The World, Momentarily Postponed

There are more than a few people around the world who breathed a sigh of relief yesterday to learn that a scientific experiment planned in Geneva, Switzerland will now actually happen September 10.

The Large Hadron Collider is a new particle accelerator and the world's largest.  So on that date next month scientists will "make the first attempt to circulate a beam of protons around a 17-mile-long super-cooled underground racetrack."

The collider, 14 years and $8 billion in the making, has been built to smash together protons that have been accelerated to energies of 7 trillion electron volts, and examine the remains for clues to the origin of mass and new forces and particles in the universe." (New York Times)

Why were there people who cared so much about this complex experiment? Because of the possibility, admittedly remote, of that this doomsday machine will really be a black hole factory and that a stray one could "devour our planet whole. Black holes possess gravitational fields so strong that nothing can escape them, even light." (LiveScience.com)

So, planetary annihilation has been put on low heat for now but I'm going to be keeping tabs on what happens next, that's for sure.

The experiment hopes to answer many questions about the Big Bang Theory that some believe formed our universe, why there is more matter than anti-matter in space and more.  Just Google "Hadron Collider" and pick your news source.

One fascinating group of Collider photos can be found on Slashdot.com and I want to share a few here. In case you care to see the face of your new Master. 

 

Comments

[Raul]

I heard about this but never had seen a picture.

In Huell Howser's words "That's Amazing!"

I wonder how many miles of wiring that thing has.

[peff]

I really wish this would create a black hole. That would be such a great way to go! I hope Homer Simpson's in charge of operations.

[bruin]

Let's hope the collider doesn't become "self-aware".

[John E]

Why the hole gotta be black?!?

[Frank]

Now I'm scared, the host of the show Geroge Norey usually talks about dooms day crap, and I laugh, but now I am scared 12/23/2012 :(

[your daughter]

i hope we do not get eaten by the black hole, we would miss mom's birthday!

[Vic Rattler]

Scientific progress goes "boink"

I hope to god a black hole is generated so I don't have to go to work anymore.

[LiLa]

Does this mean I can stop paying my bills? Who cares about credit ratings, if the black hole is a coming??

[Edmund F]

and strangley enough, I feel Fine.

[Ignacio P.]

I'm so excited about this! I was originally gonna write to you about this Bean but looks like you're already on it. This could potentially be very cool!