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Scientists Not So Sure 'Doomsday Machine' Won't Destroy World
Fox News ^ | Jan 28th, 20009

Posted on 01/28/2009 9:38:07 AM PST by TaraP

Still worried that the Large Hadron Collider will create a black hole that will destroy the Earth when it's finally switched on this summer?

Three physicists have reexamined the math surrounding the creation of microscopic black holes in the Switzerland-based LHC, the world's largest particle collider, and determined that they won't simply evaporate in a millisecond as had previously been predicted.

Rather, Roberto Casadio of the University of Bologna in Italy and Sergio Fabi and Benjamin Harms of the University of Alabama say mini black holes could exist for much longer — perhaps even more than a second, a relative eternity in particle colliders, where most objects decay much faster.

Under such long-lived conditions, it becomes a race between how fast a black hole can decay — and how fast it can gobble up matter to grow bigger and prevent itself from decaying.

Casadio, Fabi and Harms think the black hole would lose out, and pass through the Earth or out of the atmosphere before it got to be a problem.

FoxNews.com can think of a few other things that didn't seem possible once — the theory of continental drift, the fact that rocks fall from the sky, the notion that the Earth revolves around the sun, the idea that scientists could be horribly wrong.

We're also wondering how often the LHC might create individual black holes, since longer-lived ones have a greater chance of merging with each other, and, um, well, see ya.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blackhole; doomsdaymachine; junkscience; theendoftheworld
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1 posted on 01/28/2009 9:38:07 AM PST by TaraP
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To: TaraP

well, as long as they are only a “little bit worried” about what they did .....


2 posted on 01/28/2009 9:39:19 AM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: TaraP

Oh well.


3 posted on 01/28/2009 9:39:20 AM PST by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: TaraP

Dirk Pitt will save us.


4 posted on 01/28/2009 9:40:02 AM PST by Tax-chick (I will not be silenced.)
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To: TaraP

5 posted on 01/28/2009 9:40:24 AM PST by Perdogg (Only the hypnotized never lie)
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To: TaraP

Anything these scientists say about these ‘mini black holes’ is a guess. They don’t have a clue how they are going to react.


6 posted on 01/28/2009 9:41:00 AM PST by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: silverleaf

Reschedule the test for 11:11 A.M. Dec.21st,2012.


7 posted on 01/28/2009 9:41:24 AM PST by Dr. Ursus
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To: TaraP

What’s the carbon footprint of this thing?


8 posted on 01/28/2009 9:41:33 AM PST by a fool in paradise (Obama thinks spending tax $ on abortions in Mexico helps more than controlling illegal imigration)
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To: All
THE 8 BILLION DOLLAR TOWER OF BABEL
9 posted on 01/28/2009 9:42:39 AM PST by TaraP (The RAPTURE: Separation of Church and State)
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To: MEGoody

And to think the UN is afraid of Americans owning guns in their homes.


10 posted on 01/28/2009 9:43:11 AM PST by a fool in paradise (Obama thinks spending tax $ on abortions in Mexico helps more than controlling illegal imigration)
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To: TaraP

“Not sure”? Is it worth taking a chance just to figure out some scientific theory????


11 posted on 01/28/2009 9:43:12 AM PST by RC2
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To: a fool in paradise

>>What’s the carbon footprint of this thing?<<

That might not matter. I volunteer Algore to visit the site and check it out first hand.


12 posted on 01/28/2009 9:43:33 AM PST by unkus
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To: TaraP

Some collider rap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3iryBLZCOQ


13 posted on 01/28/2009 9:43:49 AM PST by Stevenc131
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To: TaraP

These omniscient scientists sound a lot like a rednecks famous last words, “Hey yall, watch this!”


14 posted on 01/28/2009 9:44:22 AM PST by MiltonFriedmanFan
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To: RC2

Waiting for a libertarian to condemn this project because it may infringe on everyone elses’ rights.


15 posted on 01/28/2009 9:44:29 AM PST by a fool in paradise (Obama thinks spending tax $ on abortions in Mexico helps more than controlling illegal imigration)
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To: Tax-chick

Dr. Emmett Brown has been brought in to work on the project.


16 posted on 01/28/2009 9:45:40 AM PST by Deaf Smith
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To: Deaf Smith; Revolting cat!; Daffynition

Dr. Emmett Brown knows...


17 posted on 01/28/2009 9:46:21 AM PST by a fool in paradise (Obama thinks spending tax $ on abortions in Mexico helps more than controlling illegal imigration)
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To: MiltonFriedmanFan
These omniscient scientists sound a lot like a rednecks famous last words, “Hey yall, watch this!”

Only thing more dangerous are the famous last words "Here, hold mah bee un watch dis!"

18 posted on 01/28/2009 9:46:30 AM PST by jimmyray
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To: TaraP

oops. forgot to carry the 1.


19 posted on 01/28/2009 9:46:32 AM PST by chuck_the_tv_out
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To: TaraP

Here’s a webcam to keep an eye on it.

http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html


20 posted on 01/28/2009 9:47:01 AM PST by newheart (Obama. We kind of underestimated the creepiness.)
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