Al Jazeera English: The Large Hadron Collider,one of the most expensive experiments in history, started working this week. Al Jazeera English takes a look at the LHC, what it is that scientists are looking for, and whether there are tangible benefits from such an experiment. Interviewees include CERN physicist Jonathan Butterworth, New Scientist's Valerie Jamieson, and biochemist Otto Rossler, who is concerned about the risks associated with running the LHC.
"[Black hole] risks associated with the LHC are frankly nonsense," says Butterworth, "and people should stop scaring the public." Jamieson talks about what impact the LHC will have on the future of physics.
In today's Wall Street Journal, Michio Kaku points out the positive impact the LHC will have on Europe in terms of developing new technology and ideas. Kaku states that the advantages could have been in the US if the Superconducting Super Collider had been built. He concludes, "I extend my congratulations to the Europeans; the LHC is their well-earned prize. I only hope that US policy makers are paying close attention to Geneva."
The LHC Chases Its Tail An LHC Thinking Break In The 20th/21st-Centuries Technology Culture Maze Rat Race http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/220/122.page#4280 Nov 25 2009
A. Main purposes of the LHC (its first high-energy collisions to be attempted early 2010)
Expected to address most fundamental questions of physics, that are said to block further progress in understanding the cosmic evolution. Planned-built with intention of testing predictions of high-energy physics, mainly:
Existence of the hypothesized Higgs boson(s), for completing the Standard Model, to explain the origin of mass in the universe,
Do all known particles have supersymmetric partners, for clearing up the mystery of dark matter,
Are there extra dimensions as postulated by models inspired by string theory.
B. Let’s get off the 20th/21st centuries technology culture maze rat race, and take a thinking break:
The study of cosmic evolution concerns and affects the study and comprehension of each and every subject in the universe. Cosmic evolution originated with gravity, which originated with inflation.
Progress in understanding the cosmic evolution starts with Thinking. Every experiment on the course of its study starts with Thinking. Per my thinking (small t, of course) E=Total[m(1 + D)] represents the essence of cosmic evolution.
E = Energy content of the universe m = mass content of the universe D = distance, Total = in all spatial directions, from the point of Big-Bang, of singularity’s energy-mass superposition
E of the universe is constant, and the variables of E are the extents of its mass formats and their density. And this is the archteype of configuration for the origin of mass anywhere. Production of an amount of m in a one-shot process takes an amount of E that renders D zero. In a one-shot process a superduper squeeze to overcome D is required to achieve an E-m superposition. This is to be attempted at the LHC, with the highest amount of energy now feasible for us, which is a diminutively minuscule amount for the purpose.
Many formats of mass are not formed from energy in a one-shot process, but in conglomeration processes consisting of totalities of multitudes of small partial intermediate steps. Life is an example. As in life’s genesis and survival. It took energy to originate life, in the form of genes, and it takes energy to continuously replicate it, to replicate the genes, life’s primal organisms. And it took energy to initiate formation and carry on the evolution of the pre-life mass formats that eventually complexed into genes, etc., all the way back to inflation. Monotheism is the E-m superposition.
Cosmic evolution is also called particle physics or evolutionary biology or complexing or other terms. The LHC high-energy collisions will most probably advance our comprehension of it even if, as I expect, it will fail to demonstrate that the origin of mass in the universe depends on the hypothesized Higgs boson(s) and will fail to demonstrate the existence of dark matter or energy. I avoid the “extra dimensions” since they are beyond my simple-minded comprehension. IMO they are religious concepts. Per my commonsensical, scientific, concept of cosmic evolution everything started with inflation and will eventually revert to singularity.
Dov Henis (Comments From The 22nd Century)
The Universe According To Planck http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/320/122.page#6463 03.2010 Updated Life Manifest http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/54.page#5065 Cosmic Evolution Simplified http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/240/122.page#4427 Gravity Is The Monotheism Of The Cosmos http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/260/122.page#4887