Particle Accelerator. Who needs one?

[Herbie]

The internet is as problematic as it is beneficial, its still in its infancy and still has the potential for desaster lets hope this project doesnt. I think it needs to show lots of payback during its use. It may be yrs before anything tangeable comes from it and at over 1m a year electric bill alone it needs to show some worth.

 

[viscount17]

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.

ok, how about these:
Charge Coupled Device (CCD) chips - digital cameras, medical digital imaging; Virtual reality, CD, Laser surveying, 3rd World water purification system that doesn't use chlorine, scratch resistant lenses, enriched baby food,
Dustbuster, shock-absorbing helmets, home security systems, smoke detectors, flat panel televisions, high-density batteries, trash compactors, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, cool sportswear, sports bras, hair styling appliances, fogless ski goggles, self-adjusting sunglasses, composite golf clubs , hang gliders, art preservation, quartz crystal timing equipment, advanced golf ball aerodynamics , solar energy - photovoltaic power systems, whale identification system, forestry management systems, environmental analysis, noise abatement, pollution measuring devices, pollution control devices, smokestack monitor, radioactive leak detector, earthquake prediction system, sewage treatment, energy saving air conditioning, air purification, insulation and fire resistant materials, non-invasive biopsy, Arteriosclerosis detection, ultrasound scanners, automatic insulin pump, portable x-ray device, invisible braces, dental arch wire, palate surgery technology, clean room apparel, implantable heart aid, MRI, bone analyzer, and cataract surgery tools, laser surgery, non-x-ray cancer detection systems. medical gas analyser, voive-controlled wheelchairs

there are a few thousand more

 

[John_Findlay]

Herb,

According to the news tonight the annual electricity bill is apparently £14 million. They must be with Scottish Power cos' that's about the same as mine. They should try USwitch. Could save a fortune.

 

[Dave3498]

Impressive list viscount17, but I'm afraid that they are not all attributable to space exploration, and anyway, I'm not against space exploration within the solar system. The subject is not on space exploration, but the useless enterprise of trying to find the origin of the universe. My bet is that there will not be any useful spin-offs from this exercise. I'm simply against the waste of taxpayer's money, and even more than that, the waste of all the talented scientsts employed by it, who could be doing more useful work.

 

[Cernunnos]

Perhaps as a giant fairground ride once its proved to be a complete waste of time. Or a giant casino like the Dome, another waste of money...


..Oh wait we've got the olimpics to come yet... who's idea was that for the tax payer to foot the bill, certsinly not the tax payer.

 

[time_vans]

dont worry the end is(not) nigh....and when they switched it on my radio reception went funny and i thought 'am i going to disappear up the nearest (black)hole? and if it had all ended ?......just take pity on all those poor people denied the chance to say 'told you'!

 

[The_Squire]

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

This is the outline of the book Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

 

[TonyN]

Whats wrong with the bible storeys, I like them, I can live with them!

 

[Herbie]

Herb,

According to the news tonight the annual electricity bill is apparently £14 million. They must be with Scottish Power cos' that's about the same as mine. They should try USwitch. Could save a fortune.

LMAO... I think I read the early stuff as 1.3 but I see no point so it mustve been 13 million lol.