CERN

Image: Flickr User Mamboman1

Physicists at CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, have said that there is no need to panic.  Apparently the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that CERN has been building under the Alps will not destroy the world.  The LHC is a 27km circular tube designed to smash protons together at extremely high speeds in the hope of creating elusive elementary particles that are believed to exist.

There is a concern by some that the LHC could cause a tiny black hole to form, a black hole that could gradually ‘eat’ the world.  The other concern is that the currently hypothetical particles that the LHC is expected to generate could trigger a kind of “chain-reaction” of conversion of normal matter to strange matter.  This could also have the effect of turning the Earth into a hot, molten lump. 

Isn’t it strange how being told that there is “no need to panic”, causes a thought of “are they sure?” to run through your mind.  Hopefully this isn’t a case of famous last words.

The other interesting thing about the whole thing is that seven people are attempting to get a injunction from the United States District Court in Hawaii to prevent CERN switching-on the Collider.  One small problem there, the LHC is on the French-Swiss Border a little out of what the European’s may consider the jurisdiction of the USA.  The case is also not scheduled to be heard until June 2009, almost a year after the start-up date!

Story via: hicksdesign.co.uk [^], BBC.co.uk [^]
More Information: CERN – Large Hadron Collider [^], Wikipedia – LHC [^], Associated Press via Wired.com [^]