Monday, September 8, 2008

Things that make us go BOOM! Or not.

Looks like this Wednesday is going to be a big day in the science world. Nerdlingers like me are awaiting the re-enactment of The Big Bang. So hold on to your um, gravity and stuff. It's being done with a 17 mile long atom smasher that's being fired up on Wednesday:
GENEVA - It has been called an Alice in Wonderland investigation into the makeup of the universe - or dangerous tampering with nature that could spell doomsday.

Whatever the case, the most powerful atom-smasher ever built comes online Wednesday, eagerly anticipated by scientists worldwide who have awaited this moment for two decades.

The multibillion-dollar Large Hadron Collider will explore the tiniest particles and come ever closer to re-enacting the big bang, the theory that a colossal explosion created the universe.

The machine at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, promises scientists a closer look at the makeup of matter, filling in gaps in knowledge or possibly reshaping theories.

Now if you really want a better understanding of what's going on, please do go take a look at the cheesy but catchy music video that the folks at CERN put together:



The article goes on to say:
It will still be about a month before beams traveling in opposite directions are brought together in collisions that some skeptics fear could create micro "black holes" and endanger the planet.

So have a great month!

3 comments:

Marsosudiro said...

Long ago at Carnegie Mellon, I saw a cartoon that showed a stopped subway in an interesting looking tunnel.

The driver is leaning out the window talking with two guys in white coats, one of whom says, "Clark Street? Sorry, pal, this is Fermilab!"

Anonymous said...

What would happen if a black hole opened?

This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXzugu39pKM

My only fault with that is that it shows the black hole as a 'sink drain' and not omni-directional, pulling inward. A black hole should fall inward on itself and twist.

Of course, cosmic rays are colliding daily in our upper atmosphere which produce more energy than CERN LRC would. Just don't tell the media that, they try to scare the crap out of us enough anyway.

My thought is this is going to be another Y2K issue. 'Henny Penny' will run around yet again.

Zack said...

Just in case, I gassed up my car today so I'll have enough fuel to drive back to NC in case there's a calamity. So I'll at least get to see you & dA before everything gets destroyed. Be prepared.