Particle Accelerator. Who needs one?

[Dave3498]

What's the point of all this? When we find out how the universe was made, what are we going to do with the information? As I understand it, this accelerator has already cost £4 billion. Surely there are better things to do with this sort of money, rather that indulge a group of scientists in their hobby. If they are all so bloody clever, why don't they put their brains into solving some of the more down to earth problems.

 

[forefortheday]

It could be one of the most important experiments ever done or an absolute waste of time depends upon the results.

It's hopefully going to begin to tell us what dark matter and energy actually are and how they work, considering only 4% of our universe is made of ordinary matter(planets etc)then I would say it's very important.

It should reveal what mass actually is, at the moment Einstein's theory works on a grand scale but not at particle level so we need to find out what actually happens at particle level.

Our current theories cannot properly explain gravity and only cover ordinary matter.

It is the first step to hopefully discovering the laws that govern particles and from there our whole understanding of the universe may be thrown on it's head.

So for me yes it's very worthwile!

 

[viscount17]

you have to consider the potential spin-offs, perhaps a way to harness energy?

the space programme gave us teflon (among others) and who would have predicted that.

 

[brendy]

the space programme gave us teflon (among others) and who would have predicted that.

Exactly, It seems that our politicians are using plenty of teflon these days as nothing ever seems to stick to them either.


I think things like this are a necessary expense as computer simulations only go so far as they are programmed, I think 4bn is a silly sum though as that would keep some third world countries afloat.

 

[viscount17]

I think 4bn is a silly sum though as that would keep some third world countries afloat.

true, but in how many third world countries (or first for that matter) would the 4bn get past the politicos?

 

[Ken_A]

I think 4bn is a silly sum though as that would keep some third world countries afloat.

4 bn is not as much as you think - the scientists may get this back in 10 years in royalties etc from products discovered while designing the machine or from the output.

Its only the taxes not paid by drug lords per annum.

 

[cm_qs]

What's the point of all this? When we find out how the universe was made, what are we going to do with the information? As I understand it, this accelerator has already cost £4 billion. Surely there are better things to do with this sort of money, rather that indulge a group of scientists in their hobby. If they are all so bloody clever, why don't they put their brains into solving some of the more down to earth problems.

For comparison I'd be very interested to find out how much money was spent globally each year in the resarch and development of new golf technologies.

....to indulge us lot in our hobby!

Getting a small ball in a hole for no discernible practical purpose. More important than the very nature of the universe? .....Only sometimes

 

[USER1999]

I would have liked to be in the bank when the project manager came in to ask for a 4bn loan.

So, what can I do for you?

Well, I'd like to borrow 4bn to build a halon collider, which is 28km big, and wizzes two streams of protons round at light speed until they collide.

Ah ha, and will it work?

I have no idea.

How are you going to pay it back?

Well, I'm not sure there will be any end product to sell as such, but it is pretty exciting.

Get out.

 

[USER1999]

Also, once you know how the universe was made, can you make another one?

 

[grumpyjock]

If it will allow me to download a film in milliseconds then I am all for it.
Dave Adams said the answer is 42

 

[vig]

Apparently there is a 1 in Xmillion chance of creating a black hole and ending the world. If there is any chance, why try it?

 

[Basher]

If the Big Bang theory proves where we came from it aint half gonna have a knock on effect with religion.

Prepare to see the Archbishop of Canterbury, every vicar, rabbii and mullah signing on at a job centre near you!

 

[Cernunnos]

Imagine the long drive you could get using a particle accelerator to propel a golf ball. Now there's an experiment worth doing... rofl


There again you might end up with a golf ball the weight of a small sun...oh bugger if it created a black hole in it..

 

[Dave3498]

the space programme gave us teflon

Whenever someone criticises the space race, people come up with 'Teflon,. Big deal. Do you really think that we wouldn't have developed Teflon without the $billions spent on putting a man on the moon?

The £4 billion for the accelerator is just the start of it. These scientists and all their hangers-on are going to keep this going for decades, drawing fat government salaries, while multi-multi-millionaires like Bono, Sir Paul, Elton John et. al, will go on asking the ordinary Joe to put his hand in his pocket to save starving African kids.

The time to start looking for dark matter, is when all the world is fed, housed and free from disease and war. Maybe in 1000 years we should start looking, 'til then, let's concentrate on solving some of the more down-to-earth problems.

 

[haplesshacker]

£4bn. Thay's only Man U's annual wage bill!!

I'm just wondering what weapon the yanks will build when they've nicked the technology, ala, the jet engine, nuclear.

Imho, I think it'll be worth it, regardless of what it proves. That's the thing with experiments, they always prove something. Whether it proves what they expect or not is another matter. Guess I would say that though; the old man is a physicist!

BTW I think Gore-tex was originally used in space suits.

 

[TonyN]

Apparently there is a 1 in Xmillion chance of creating a black hole and ending the world. If there is any chance, why try it?

EXACTLY this was the first thing I said to me mate last night when he told me the world might start to end today.

 

[vig]

And had it started to end today i wonder if they would have said Ooops

I thought things like this only existed in james bond films.

Apparently the odds of the world ending today were something like a billion to 1. If i put a quid on, how would I claim it?

 

[Imurg]

I bet there'd a few million insurance claims too.

And OPEC would definately cut production.

 

[forefortheday]

The time to start looking for dark matter, is when all the world is fed, housed and free from disease and war. Maybe in 1000 years we should start looking, 'til then, let's concentrate on solving some of the more down-to-earth problems.

But none of this will ever happen Science has advanced the human race so much it's untrue everything that makes our lives as comfortable as they are is down to science and experimentation. True it's also created many more efficient ways of killing ourselves but thats down to us as a species.

If it works it will open a new chapter for science which in turn will benefit us all.

Without advances in physics we wouldn't have the silicon chip and we wouldn't be debating golf ,life and the madness of humanity, so there you go one of the many benefits of physics! It gave us the GM forum!

 

[John_Findlay]

Isn't it the same folks wot invented that fangle interweb thingy? If they hadn't, I wouldn't have met you guys. You're certainly worth 3 billion. 4 billion's stretching it a bit.