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What will be the result of the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider?

Current forecast: Results reported without referring to damage (52% chance21%)
Combining all predictions, the current most likely outcome is Results reported without referring to damage with a probability of 52% (up 21% in last 1 day)

This question replaces svenno's excellent original question with a less ambiguous version.


The Large Hadron collider (www.lhc.co.uk) was finally completed at CERN's base in Geneva in summer 2008. It is designed to consume massive amounts of energy throwing particles around a tunnel at massive speeds. (more info on CERN website)

The question is: What will happen when the "first beams are injected" AND the "first collisions" are triggered (regardless the suspend date of the question).
The original schedule called for this to occur in the middle of August:
"The cool-down schedule, which I am confident we can keep, foresees the entire LHC being cold by the middle of June, allowing the first beams to be injected soon after. First collisions will follow two months later."
(CERN Journal)

Legal issues (see http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m4944/ and http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5869/) were overcome on schedule, but a technical glitch during the final stages of the cool-down phase caused damage to the tunnel. Because of the necessity to reheat the tunnel to less inhuman temperatures to repair this, followed by a re-cooling back down to almost absolute zero, this process is expected to take a number of months.

Sadly energy costs in the make atom-smashing on this scale prohibitively expensive in the dead of winter, so the first collisions are now expected in Spring 2009 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7632408.stm)

Options are similar to the original question


Settlement details: As reported on bbc.co.uk or other respectable news source.

 
Forecast history, %
   Zoom in

Make your prediction!

"No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported
5%
"Small accident" damage to LHC and/or people
32%
"Disaster" with 10 or more fatalities
6%
Just Geneva destroyed
1%
Just Switzerland destroyed
0%
Unexpected consequences result in the end of life
4%
Results reported without referring to damage
52%
Activity: H$130,477
Question suspends in 21 weeks

Suspend date: Fri 1st May 2009 12:59am PDT (21 weeks to go)

Initial likelihoods: "No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported: 50%, "Small accident" damage to LHC and/or people: 6%, "Disaster" with 10 or more fatalities: 5%, Just Geneva destroyed: 4%, Just Switzerland destroyed: 1%, Unexpected consequences result in the end of life: 3%, Results reported without referring to damage: 31%

Action history:

Created Wed 11th Jun 4am PDT by kruijs[Power User]
Settlement requested Wed 10th Sep 5:08am PDT by rbrog77: Worked fine.

http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20080910/48c74640_3ca6_1552620080910140316668
Suspended Wed 10th Sep 5:59am PDT by tisha[Admin]: checking settlement sources
Settlement requested Wed 10th Sep 6:06am PDT by bigken1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7604293.stm

first article in your source...
Unsuspended Wed 10th Sep 1:23pm PDT by tisha[Admin]: The good news - the LHC has been switched on and the world seems to be more or less intact. However, this question asks: What will happen when the "first beams are injected" AND the "first collisions" are triggered.

So, we will have to wait a little longer for high energy collisions to occur before we settle this question
Settlement requested Sat 20th Sep 12:13am PDT by rogerkni: One of CERN's magnets has just heated up and leaked a ton of helium into the tunnel. The vacuum in the beam pipe has been lost. The fire department had to be called. Full damage has not been assessed, but there will be no more trials next week. Here's the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/19/scilhc419.xml
(Note: This is a different accident from the replacement of an overheated transformer earlier in the week.)
Anyway, this should settle the question as "small accident".
Settlement requested Sat 20th Sep 3:48pm PDT by rbrog77: MSNBC says there was damage

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26802846/
Settlement requested Sat 20th Sep 4:38pm PDT by thepeoplegeekllc: Damage- Stopped - Melted - Failure
Repairs A Quench

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7626944.stm
Suspended Sun 21st Sep 6:27am PDT by tisha[Admin]: checking settlement sources
Unsuspended Sun 21st Sep 9:26pm PDT by tisha[Admin]: Sorry for the long unsuspend.

See comments 47 and 53 for clarification of market as it currently stands
Changed Description Tue 30th Sep 4:27am PDT by chris[Admin]: show details
... ... This<div class='smallgrey'>This question ... isreplaces <a href="/users/svenno">svenno's</a> excellent <a href="http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m231">original question</a> with a remake of the long running but unfortunately voided question by svenno (<a href='http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m231'>http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m231</a>). <br/> Since there has been discussions about WHEN actually this question should have been settled, here is the new, I hope less ambiguous ... version. <br/>version.</div><br/> <br/> ... Original background: <br/> <i>TheThe Large Hadron collider (<a ... href='http://www.lhc.co.uk'>www.lhc.co.uk</a>) is currently under constructionhref="http://www.lhc.co.uk">www.lhc.co.uk</a>) was finally completed at CERN's base in Geneva in ... Geneva.summer 2008. It is designed to consume massive amounts of energy throwing particles around a tunnel at massive ... speeds.</i> <br/> <br/> Additional information: <br/>speeds. (<br/> <a ... href='http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&name=CERNBulletin&category=News%20Articles&number=1&ln=en'>http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&name=CERNBulletin&category=News%20Articles&number=1&ln=en</a> <br/>href="http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&amp;name=CERNBulletin&amp;category=News%20Articles&amp;number=1&amp;ln=en">more info on CERN website)</a><br/> <br/> The question is: What will happen when the "first ... "first collisions" are triggered (regardless the suspend date of the ... question). <br/> This is scheduledquestion).<br/> The original schedule called for this to occur in the ... midmiddle of ... August but may be postponed in case the current "cool-down" phase takes longer/shorter or for legal issues (see <a href='http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m4944/'>http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m4944/</a> and <a href='http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5869/'>http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5869/</a>) <br/> <br/> "TheAugust:<br/> <i>"The cool-down schedule, which I am confident we can keep, foresees ... be injected soon after. First collisions will follow two months ... later." <br/>later."</i><br/> (<a ... href='http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&name=CERNBulletin&category=News%20Articles&number=2&ln=en'>http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&name=CERNBulletin&category=News%20Articles&number=2&ln=en</a>)href="http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=14/2008&amp;name=CERNBulletin&amp;category=News%20Articles&amp;number=2&amp;ln=en">CERN Journal</a>)<br/> <br/> Legal issues (see <a href="http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m4944/">http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m4944/</a> and <a href="http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5869/">http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5869/</a>) were overcome on schedule, but a technical glitch during the final stages of the cool-down phase caused damage to the tunnel. Because of the necessity to reheat the tunnel to less inhuman temperatures to repair this, followed by a re-cooling back down to almost absolute zero, this process is expected to take a number of months. <br/> ... Since<br/> Sadly energy costs in the ... original options weren't put into question I kindwinter make atom-smashing on this scale prohibitively expensive in the dead of ... reuse them, giving themwinter too expensive, so the first collisions are now expected in Spring 2009 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7632408.stm)<br/> <br/> Options are similar ... starting odds.to the original question<br/> <br/> ... <br/> <object width="425" height="344"><param<a class="abp-objtab-007193499991104302" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/f6aU-wFSqt0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></a><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" ... value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f6aU-wFSqt0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><paramvalue="http://www.youtube.com/v/f6aU-wFSqt0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" ... value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f6aU-wFSqt0&hl=en&fs=1"value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f6aU-wFSqt0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" ... width="425" height="344"></embed></object>height="344" width="425"></object>

Suspend date: Fri 1st May 2009 12:59am PDT (21 weeks to go)
more info...

 

Predictions (408)

408 predictions

3 days ago
nipperino1 predicted Results reported without referring to damage (H$50 at 52%)
1 week ago
youbet predicted "No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported (H$100 at 44%)
1 week ago
wooly_sammoth predicted Results reported without referring to damage (H$100 at 30%)
1 week ago
georgethe23rd predicted "No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported (H$20 at 44%)
3 weeks ago
pauliharman predicted "Small accident" damage to LHC and/or people (H$20 at 15%)
more

Comments (95)

  1 kruijs[Power User]
And we all should have one of these superconducting key rings:
http://mediaarchive.cern.ch/MediaArchive/Photo/Public/2008/0803006/0803006_01/0803006_01-A4-at-144-dpi.jpg
posted 24 weeks ago
  2 mork[Power User]
Nice! ...I want one ;)
posted 24 weeks ago
"Unexpected consequences result in the end of life"

does that mean all life? might be hard to collect in that case.
posted 24 weeks ago
  4 kruijs[Power User]
yes, ironman288, all life*. and yes, ironman288, that could get difficult.

* all life on earth or all life at all everywhere even http://www.hubdub.com/e/Market/m5358/
posted 24 weeks ago
  5 markov
If all life is wiped out and you have at least a moment to ponder your demise, you will at least know the final Hubdub settlement would have been in your favor.
posted 24 weeks ago
LOL, you guys are hilarious, I especially liked the two, JUST Geneva destroyed and JUST Switzerland destroyed, LOL :-D
posted 24 weeks ago
when they turn this really big toy on it will create a black hole that inverts the earth into the forth dimension. in this dimension lucidstate will be the president of the united states and meanderingsearcher becomes a concretethought
posted 24 weeks ago
I've always wondered what it would be like to fall into a black hole. I imagine it would be excruciatingly painful as the tidal stresses tore apart your body ... like being drawn-and-quartered on steroids. Not that I want it to happen or anything, lots of things are _way_ better to speculate about than to experience, I'm just an SF fan who's wondered about this particular demise.

kruijs, are you trying to give the BBC preference between these two, overlapping, options:
1) "No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported
2) Results reported without referring to damage

I could definitely see some media sources reporting option 1 and others option 2. If the BBC holds trump it's probably okay, although I suppose different articles on bbc.co.uk could report it differently as well.
posted 24 weeks ago
  9 kruijs[Power User]
lets try to settle it with the first report published to avoid that, ok?
posted 24 weeks ago
  10 yonemoto
"Unexpected consequences result in the end of life" Presuambly, this is to say "impending end to all life on earth"? Could be a bit ambigous, with options 3, 4, 5. Although if you win this bet, then what are you doing checking Hubdub afterwards?
posted 24 weeks ago
  11 ryanj[Admin]
Heh... This is a great market, yes it might be ambiguous to settle as "unexpected consequences result in the end of life," but who said all hubdubers are lifeforms....?

Regards,

Ryan
Hubdub Category Editor
posted 24 weeks ago
I've added the video from the stop the LHC campaign. Not sure if I fully agree with the campaign but the video is cool.
posted 20 weeks ago
  14 kruijs[Power User]
"The outlook is sunny for CERN now that all the sectors are cold. The mood is growing feverish in anticipation of the LHC start-up!"
http://cdsweb.cern.ch/journal/article?issue=32/2008&name=CERNBulletin&category=News%20Articles&number=1&ln=en

LHC Cooldown Status
http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/

... Temperatures between 1.7 and 1.9 K, wow, ...
posted 17 weeks ago
  15 chatarra
Incredible
posted 17 weeks ago
  16 kruijs[Power User]
CERN to start up super-accelerator on September 10

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBOsea79dkKBPYuLx_bERD8XsLmQ
posted 16 weeks ago
  17 kruijs[Power User]
Will Switzerland survive?
posted 16 weeks ago
  18 intlibber
The real purpose of LHC is its a plot by the French, German, and other European nations tax authorities to destroy Switzerland as a tax haven.... lol
posted 16 weeks ago
RESULT: The governments involved will wish they'd spent their billions on another TGV line instead.
posted 15 weeks ago
  20 tisha[Admin]
hehe - kruijs has just asked me to embed another video, it's the LHC rap - very funny!
posted 12 weeks ago
  21 chatarra
Fantastic Photos of the Collider
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/the_large_hadron_collider.html
posted 12 weeks ago
  22 chatarra
I will be sorry to see this market settle - either way, simply for the comic relief that news stories have provided.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/05/scilhc105.xml
Such is the angst that the American Nobel prize winning physicist Frank Wilczek of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has even had death threats, said Prof Brian Cox of Manchester University, adding: "Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a twat."
posted 12 weeks ago
  23 mork[Power User]
Thanks for the Links Chatarra.
You're right, this has been fun to follow.
posted 12 weeks ago
  24 tisha[Admin]
Yes - fabulous links Chatarra, thanks for that.

Hopefully the switch-on of the LHC will yield a whole bunch of new questions :-)
posted 12 weeks ago
  25 mrperfkt[Admin]
Scientists receive death threats over 'end-of-world' experiment

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/08/scicern108.xml
posted 12 weeks ago
Is anyone else out there?
posted 11 weeks ago
  27 chatarra
Google's home page is honoring the Large Hadron Collider
This image will probably not be showing for long - (seen 9-10-08)
http://www.google.com/
posted 11 weeks ago
  28 tisha[Admin]
haha - that's cute. And of course, if google gets sucked into a black hole, we're all following!
posted 11 weeks ago
  29 tisha[Admin]
The good news - the LHC has been switched on and the world seems to be more or less intact. However, this question asks: What will happen when the "first beams are injected" AND the "first collisions" are triggered.

So, we will have to wait a little longer for high energy collisions to occur before we settle this question
posted 11 weeks ago
  30 bigken1
The question seemed to first ask whether when the machine was turned on there would be reported damage. Now it seems we will have to wait until high energy collisions occur. I would think that in this time, someone will report "no damage" or words to that effect. So, I am reversing my position. The deciding matter is unclear to me. Nevertheless, I am quite sure that the collisions themselves will not do damage. Nor is it likely that turning the machine on will do damage, since they will already have tested the giant magnets involved, etc.... I think it likely that somewhere along the line someone will say "no damage."
posted 11 weeks ago
The damage may be undetected for years or from the new timeline in our universe. We should ask the mighty Gazoo.
posted 11 weeks ago
  32 kruijs[Power User]
after, actually turning on the machine (but without making these collisions), and _we_ are still here, maybe we have already destroyed some parallel universe(s).
posted 11 weeks ago
This seems absurdly dumb.
posted 11 weeks ago
  34 curios
who holds the crystal ball? or open sesame
posted 11 weeks ago
  35 tisha[Admin]
anyone know metaphysics?? maybe the cat in the box is finally dead :-(
posted 11 weeks ago
LOL @tisha
posted 11 weeks ago
  38 chatarra
Oh geez, Tisha.
How sad that is.

In related news:
Hadron Collider halted for months
Part of the giant physics experiment was turned off for the weekend while engineers probed a magnet failure.
A Cern spokesman said damage to the £3.6bn ($6.6bn) particle accelerator was worse than anticipated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7626944.stm
posted 10 weeks ago
I believe that this qustion should have ended when they did the test run.
posted 10 weeks ago
  40 mork[Power User]
I believe this question will settle when an attempt at 'particle collision' occurs.

Quote from question background:
"The question is: What will happen when the "first beams are injected" AND the "first collisions" are triggered (regardless the suspend date of the question). "
posted 10 weeks ago
@pulloverthatasstofat
Are you kidding me? Your saying that this seems absurdly dumb? Have you even looked at your name?
@all
"Small accident" damage to LHG and/or people" I think i may have just settled this. I tripped and scraped my ankle when i heard about this. There. Damage to "people"
posted 10 weeks ago
  42 rbrog77
MSNBC says there was damage

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26802846/
posted 10 weeks ago
There is damage. It won't be working by the time the question expires. Small damage FTW
posted 10 weeks ago
Sweet its still open! i can make a ton now!
posted 10 weeks ago
  45 mork[Power User]
This question will settle when an attempt to collide particles is made. The suspend date was based on an estimate of when it will happen. The suspend date will be postponed to allow for wagering to continue until an attempt to collide particles is made.
posted 10 weeks ago
Ah.
posted 10 weeks ago
  47 mork[Power User]
IE:
- What will happen when the "first beams are injected" -
- AND the "first collisions" are triggered.
- Regardless the suspend date.
posted 10 weeks ago
  48 mork[Power User]
Anybody unsure of how to interpret this question should refer to comment 47.
It is quoted directly from the background of the question.
posted 10 weeks ago
  50 mork[Power User]
@thepeoplegeekllc

This question will not settle until an article is produced indicating that at least an attempt to collide particles has occurred.
posted 10 weeks ago
It either is broken and they will keep putting back together until it work or it BLOWS us a to little tiny particles. For gods Sake it was put together by people who live in countries where they come to work at 10am on bycycles with 2 bottles of wine. Name one good thing mechanically that the french have done well in, except for those little torches they use to make Creme Brulee. The LeCar? If you live close to this thing you must run
posted 10 weeks ago
  53 kruijs[Power User]
Yes it ended damaged.

But the damage was not result of the experiments. And the results of the experiments are topic of this question - not just the machine turned on. (OK, the title indicates it does, but it was never meant so: Please read question background)

The current headlines exactly indicate what is intended by this question: "Large Hadron Collider won't end world for months" (http://www.itexaminer.com/large-hadron-collider-wont-end-world-for-months.aspx) "Quest for 'Big Bang' delayed by fault in Hadron Collider" (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/quest-for-big-bang-delayed-by-fault-in-hadron-collider-936314.html)
posted 10 weeks ago
  54 Erik
"Large Hadron Collider won't end world for months"
Nice to know we all have a few more months to live...
posted 10 weeks ago
I see so the suspend date is postponed until they get the theoretical device to work without any kind of failure or damage. What if the machine continues to not work as it seems to have some damage every time it is switched on? That has been the history of the big circle so far.
posted 10 weeks ago
  56 mork[Power User]
This question will not settle until an article is produced indicating that at least an attempt to collide particles has occurred.
posted 10 weeks ago
It's odd that you have all of the treaties like START and all the non-proliferation treaties and whatnot yet on the other hand there is government funding for a project which may create black holes that wipe out all of humanity. Sounds about right.
posted 10 weeks ago
  58 mork[Power User]
8 Large Hadron Collider Videos
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/top-5-large-had.html
posted 10 weeks ago
So why is it still suspended? Oh yeah, cause it had and accident when they switched it on. Now it is broken. Duh!
posted 10 weeks ago
  60 mork[Power User]
@ thepeoplegeekllc

Can you provide an article indicating that they have tried to collide particles yet. The fact is they have only shot particles in one direction thus far.
posted 10 weeks ago
  61 curios
@all
and this will be against my prediction the answer is obviously in the question
Small accident" damage to LHG and/or people and that is what happened
posted 10 weeks ago
  62 mork[Power User]
If you don't understand this question....Don't wager on it.
posted 10 weeks ago
  63 curios
thanks mort i do no the question more than appentley you. i had already wager on it how do you think i got here through a email as you had .but here is your answer thanking from there news link.dont take me for a fool,

http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2008/PR09.08E.html /
posted 10 weeks ago
  64 curios
thanks mort i do no the question more than appentley you. i had already wager on it how do you think i got here through a email as you had .but here is your answer thanking from there news link.dont take me for a fool,

http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2008/PR09.08E.html /
posted 10 weeks ago
  65 curios
oops typo ha ha taken
posted 10 weeks ago
  66 mork[Power User]
Your article starts out "During commissioning (without beam)...."

Commisioning means: Performing the necessary adjustments, tests and inspection to ensure plant is in full working order to specified requirements before the plant is used.

The question as Krujis asked it is: What will happen when the beams are injected and particle collision is triggered.

The article you yourself provide indicates that these things have not happened yet.

The recent damage means that they will not happen until the repairs are made.

The outcome of this question can only be determined after beams are injected AND particle collision is triggered. Any damage sustained is irrelevant other than the fact it will delay beams being injected and particle collision being triggered which consequently will delay settlement.

@ Curios: This is not something I am making up. This is what the question asks. If you read the previous 20 to 25 comments you will see that I have already explained this to someone else who didn't understand the background information.

Do Not think that the damage sustained in the article you mention (http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2008/PR09.08E.html /) will determine the out come of: "Small accident" damage to LHG and/or people" because the question does not ask what will happen during commissioning.

If the question was referring to events during the commissioning then this question would have already settled.
posted 10 weeks ago
  67 curios
@Mort and all you Mort have cut the article and not the whole don't fool me please the article related to Sept the 19th oh what tangled webs we weave when first we practise to deceive
http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/News.htmm

Incident in LHC sector 34
Geneva, 20 September 2008. During commissioning (without beam) of the final LHC sector (sector 34) at high current for operation at 5 TeV, an incident occurred at mid-day on Friday 19 September resulting in a large helium leak into the tunnel. Preliminary investigations indicate that the most likely cause of the problem was a faulty electrical connection between two magnets, which probably melted at high current leading to mechanical failure. CERN ’s strict safety regulations ensured that at no time was there any risk to people.

A full investigation is underway, but it is already clear that the sector will have to be warmed up for repairs to take place. This implies a minimum of two months down time for LHC operation. For the same fault, not uncommon in a normally conducting machine, the repair time would be a matter of days.

Further details will be made available as soon as they are known.
posted 10 weeks ago
  68 mork[Power User]
I do not appreciate your accusation of my intention to deceive. I am trying to help you but am now entirely finished with it.

Don't try to use your arguments if you lose your H$ because it has been clearly explained to you.
posted 10 weeks ago
  69 mork[Power User]
disclosure: I have 500 on "No Damage" (or similar) explicitly reported
posted 10 weeks ago
  70 mork[Power User]
LHC meltdown before first collision
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080922/full/455436a.html?s=news_rss
posted 10 weeks ago
  71 geoff
You probably want to extent the suspend date:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7632408.stm
posted 10 weeks ago
  72 tisha[Admin]
Note - suspend date has been moved out to Spring 2009
posted 9 weeks ago
Can you supply an article saying none of those particles collided with each other?
posted 9 weeks ago
  74 mork[Power User]
@thepeoplegeekllc
Please not comment 70 and the headline of the article mentioned in it.
posted 9 weeks ago
  75 mork[Power User]
sorry; *note
posted 9 weeks ago
  76 mork[Power User]
Forget black holes, could the LHC trigger a “Bose supernova”?
http://arxivblog.com/?p=645
posted 9 weeks ago
  77 kruijs[Power User]
@thepeoplegeekllc and anyone else who thinks this question ought to be settled:

please, please read the background of the question carefully. you even might consider reading linked articles to really understand what these citations refer to ("first beams are injected", "first collisions"). you will recognize that the question just doesn't settle yet. the question will not change just because you repeat your questions. doing so, only shows that you did not fully read (or understood) the question background.

@anyone else: DFTT
posted 9 weeks ago
  78 ladylara
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10oct_lhc.htm?list16311 "The Day the World Didn't End" NASA article- good on facts.
posted 7 weeks ago
Thats nasa for you.
posted 7 weeks ago
  80 cookietime
I wonder what ever happened to the 'large hadron collider'...?
posted 2 weeks ago
Right now i believe they are gathering information from the collision. Going over videos, taking samples from various parts of the large hadron collider.
posted 2 weeks ago
  82 cookietime
Ah good good, in terms of what we have to panic about next, i find the LHC much more interesting than the global credit crisis...
posted 2 weeks ago
I think it sounds much more interesting than it is. In truth, its just a expensive, glorified test experiement to appease some scientists. I mean under the best conditions we still get nothing out of it. We just get to see a new type of atom and add a few elements that we cant use to the periodic table.
posted 2 weeks ago
  84 cookietime
Heh yes but according to the NY Times

"The random nature of quantum physics means that there is always a minuscule, but nonzero, chance of anything occurring, including that the new collider could spit out man-eating dragons."

Thats what I was hoping for...if there's a small non-zero chance of an infinite number of possibilities surely something interesting will pop out once they finally get it working
posted 2 weeks ago
Its worked. They have already done the colliding and now they are just observing. After they observe they have to figure out what all the stuff they observed means. After that they have to figure out what the stuff they have figured out that it means means. And after that they have to decide what do to with it all.
posted 2 weeks ago
  86 mork[Power User]
So far it has proven that dragonfng is willing to make claims of collisions which are absolutely incorrect.
posted 2 weeks ago
  87 cookietime
Really? I didnt hear they had achieved a collision yet, i thought they'd just fired em one way then the other, then it broke down. I must not be paying attention...ah well i guess we dont get our dragons then
posted 2 weeks ago
  88 tisha[Admin]
Tis true - no high energy collisions were fired before the LHC broke.

Right now they're heating up their big broken machine, so people can go and find out exactly what went wrong. It's not due to be restarted again until next spring.
posted 2 weeks ago
I remeber reading several articles about it and they said it had run. Show me a link that proves me wrong.
posted 2 weeks ago
  90 kruijs[Power User]
... starting to be running in circles again ...
dragon, please read the comments above.
the machine has been turned on - you are right - but that alone does not suffice not settle this question.
posted 2 weeks ago
Dont worry, think you misunderstood, we arent talking about settling the question, he asked what they were doing now, and i said they were compiling the stuff from the lab, and then they said it hasnt been turned on and i said it had and you confirmed what i said just now.
posted 2 weeks ago
  93 cookietime
Ah - curses not til middle of next year. The fact that they can't get their machine to work in the first place does make me wonder whether they've thought through that whole "black hole" thing properly....
posted 2 weeks ago
Yeah the whole thing sounds like a horrible idea to me.
posted 2 weeks ago
As long as they keep it on there side of the planet im fine with the whole ordeal.
posted 1 week ago

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