Oh no, they're going to end existence hehehe

[CarolinaSRT10]

If I recall correctly, there were only two and a half pounds of uranium (or was it plutonium?) in the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. My point being.........look at the energy that was created from just two and a half pounds...........

So the energy potential from these particles they are splitting is really going to be an unknown.........and who knows when they will hit the motherlode.

Again, I think we have nothing to worry about.........I just enjoy gleaning info from you guys on this.

Lee

 

[Ram From Hell]

If I recall correctly, there were only two and a half pounds of uranium (or was it plutonium?) in the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. My point being.........look at the energy that was created from just two and a half pounds...........

So the energy potential from these particles they are splitting is really going to be an unknown.........and who knows when they will hit the motherlode.

Again, I think we have nothing to worry about.........I just enjoy gleaning info from you guys on this.

Lee

Hiroshima was hit with 130lbs of 235 Pu, which yielded a net of 13 kilotons.
Nagasaki was hit with 14.1lbs of 239 Pu, which yielded a net of 21 kilotons (more from less material due to the implosion detonation method).

By and large I believe that these scientists know quite accurately what the energy potential of the material they are working with is. The mother load they are hoping for is information.

 

[jelms]

It may open up a new frontier of PP, but it is more likely the case that the results will help simply steer the theoretical aspects of PP by possibly proving or disproving current models and theories. Some theoretical physicists may find that they've been wandering in the desert, having lacked concrete observations to keep them pointed in the right direction. Whatever the case may be, it is unlikely that we can advance our knowledge of the most elemental aspects of physical existence and its beginnings without the aid of more and more sophisticated instruments like the LHC.

In many ways, man is still little more than a band of monkeys poking sticks at the monolith for all that we don't understand. Dark matter and dark energy for example are believed to make up as much as 90% of the cosmos. So named because they cannot be seen and measured only by their effects, known only because there is a massively unbalanced equation with respect to known mass and gravity (far more gravity than discernible mass). Gaining an understanding of this alone would be a gigantic leap forward.

Here's some basic explanations of the current theories on them:

http://www.answers.com/topic/dark-matter

I would completely agree that some theoretical physicists are going to be proven either right or wrong. I always find it very exciting when theories can finally be tested and proven or disproven. I was never much of a theory guy, I loved spending time in labs getting my "hands" dirty. One of the more exciting abilities of LHC is to have enough energy to possibly observe the Higgs Boson, the last particle not observed in the standard model.

I have read up on dark matter in a couple of my science magazines and I would agree that your analogy of us poking sticks at the monolith is completely correct. There is so much we do not understand, but have a thirst to know.

-jeff

 

[BurntRubber]

3 things:

Why are we spending money on this?:dontknow:

Will the earth be swallowed by the black hole before Eric gets his truck down the track?

Can this make Dom any smarter?

answers...:argh:

 

[OCBob]

Why are we spending money on this?:dontknow:

We're spending money because the possibilities are endless when it comes to what can be developed by exploring these things. Military applications, medical applications, and certainly energy applications.

Will the earth be swallowed by the black hole before Eric gets his truck down the track?

There is a good chance of that hehehe.

Can this make Dom any smarter?

Well it can't....... uh, I'll just leave that one alone LOL.

 

[Ram From Hell]

3 things:

Why are we spending money on this?:dontknow:

I previously cited the PET scanner as technology that has come from the research in these projects, which is instrumental in diagnosing cancer.

Will the earth be swallowed by the black hole before Eric gets his truck down the track?

Ahhhh! Just waiting on a call today from the powder coater! Then it can go back together!!!

 

[BurntRubber]

I previously cited the PET scanner as technology that has come from the research in these projects, which is instrumental in diagnosing cancer.



Ahhhh! Just waiting on a call today from the powder coater! Then it can go back together!!!

we are just getting anxious

 

[Ram From Hell]

we are just getting anxious

No Schzitzky.

Hey, not much mention in this thread about the possibility of finding evidence of other universes:

Transdimensional Particles

A tantalizing idea considered since the early part of the last century is that the universe might have more than the three spatial dimensions of common experience.

In addition to the familiar left/right, back/forth and up/down, physicists have contemplated additional directions that are curled up to such a small size that they’ve so far eluded discovery.

For many years Einstein was a strong proponent of this idea. He had already shown that gravity was nothing but warps and curves in the familiar dimensions of space (and time); the new idea posited that nature’s other forces (for example, the electromagnetic force) amounted to warps and curves in additional, as yet unknown, spatial dimensions. Difficulties in applying the idea mathematically resulted in Einstein ultimately losing interest. But decades later, string theory revived it: the mathematics of string theory not only requires extra dimensions but has shown how to resolve the issues that flummoxed Einstein.

And now, remarkably, there’s a chance — albeit a small one — that the collider may find evidence for the extra dimensions. Calculations show that some of the debris produced by the proton collisions may be ejected out of our familiar spatial dimensions and crammed into the others, a process we’d detect by an apparent loss of the energy the debris would carry.

The unknown is just how powerful the collisions need to be for this process to happen, a number itself determined by another unknown: just how small the extra dimensions, if they exist, actually are. The more tightly they’re curled, the harder it would be to cram anything in them and so the more energetic the required collisions.

Should the Large Hadron Collider have the power necessary to reveal extra dimensions of space — to overturn our belief that length, width and height are all there is — that would rank as one of the greatest upheavals in our understanding of the universe.

 

[jelms]

No Schzitzky.

Hey, not much mention in this thread about the possibility of finding evidence of other universes:

Transdimensional Particles

A tantalizing idea considered since the early part of the last century is that the universe might have more than the three spatial dimensions of common experience.

In addition to the familiar left/right, back/forth and up/down, physicists have contemplated additional directions that are curled up to such a small size that they’ve so far eluded discovery.

For many years Einstein was a strong proponent of this idea. He had already shown that gravity was nothing but warps and curves in the familiar dimensions of space (and time); the new idea posited that nature’s other forces (for example, the electromagnetic force) amounted to warps and curves in additional, as yet unknown, spatial dimensions. Difficulties in applying the idea mathematically resulted in Einstein ultimately losing interest. But decades later, string theory revived it: the mathematics of string theory not only requires extra dimensions but has shown how to resolve the issues that flummoxed Einstein.

And now, remarkably, there’s a chance — albeit a small one — that the collider may find evidence for the extra dimensions. Calculations show that some of the debris produced by the proton collisions may be ejected out of our familiar spatial dimensions and crammed into the others, a process we’d detect by an apparent loss of the energy the debris would carry.

The unknown is just how powerful the collisions need to be for this process to happen, a number itself determined by another unknown: just how small the extra dimensions, if they exist, actually are. The more tightly they’re curled, the harder it would be to cram anything in them and so the more energetic the required collisions.

Should the Large Hadron Collider have the power necessary to reveal extra dimensions of space — to overturn our belief that length, width and height are all there is — that would rank as one of the greatest upheavals in our understanding of the universe.

I agree with your thoughts on the LHC possibly finding evidence of other dimensions. My next read is on string theory which has once again been discussed as the next theory of everything. Setting aside my excitement of the Higgs Boson and the LHC I'm also interested in the possibility of finding wormholes and stanglets. The LHC has so many experimental possibilities. It should prove to be the most useful tool in recent history to unwind many questions of our universes structure and possible formation.

The existence of other dimensions is hard for us three dimensional creatures to understand. Just as the two dimensional creature has a hard time viewing a third dimension.

I have enjoyed reading your posts on this subject. You obviously have a very firm grasp of science history and the possibilities science give us to understand our surroundings.

I for one hope this thread keeps going, it is refreshing to talk about something other than politics and the greatest truck in the three dimensional world.

-jeff

 

[Prof]

My scientist spouse attempted to explain in simple terms the value of the experiment...then stopped and said that all I really needed to know was that there was going to be more new data generated by this experiment than all of the existing data combined...and that will happen every day after they get it fine tuned.

To me that was impressive.

 

[jelms]

My scientist spouse attempted to explain in simple terms the value of the experiment...then stopped and said that all I really needed to know was that there was going to be more new data generated by this experiment than all of the existing data combined...and that will happen every day after they get it fine tuned.

To me that was impressive.

The existence of the LHC has pressed the computing industry to make many advances to handle the sheer volume of data the LHC will produce. The shear magnitude of the computer network put together is almost as impressive as the LHC itself. For those that ask the question why the LHC is a benefit, just the fact that computing advances needed to handle this data will eventually benefit us all is a simple benefit.

Your scientific spouse is very well informed and right on the spot on this issue:congrats:

-jeff

 

[Prof]

I also found this Jeff:

"The particle collider is a tremendously important area of research for the world. Not only will it tell us something more about the "big bang" (assuming the event actually did happen), but it will tell us a great deal about the nature of reality itself.

It also has the potential of unlocking secrets about the latent energy within these particles that could one day lead to an inexhaustible and perfectly harmless source of energy for our homes, businesses and automobiles."

But in my mind the biggest benefit would be to drive in the seventeen mile circuit at WOT and no radar!

 

[jelms]

Here is another question that might shed some light into your scientific background.... For those that want to answer I would love to see who has been the most influential in your understanding of the sciences.

My top three authors to date have been:
Carl Sagan
Stephen Hawking
Richard Feynman

Sagan in my opinion has been the most influential scientist for the layman over the last 30 years. His passing was a great loss for those that view science as a very important issue for this country. He had a gift to reach out to those that view science as something too hard for them to understand.

Just thought I would throw that question out there.

-jeff

 

[jelms]

I also found this Jeff:

"The particle collider is a tremendously important area of research for the world. Not only will it tell us something more about the "big bang" (assuming the event actually did happen), but it will tell us a great deal about the nature of reality itself.

It also has the potential of unlocking secrets about the latent energy within these particles that could one day lead to an inexhaustible and perfectly harmless source of energy for our homes, businesses and automobiles."

But in my mind the biggest benefit would be to drive in the seventeen mile circuit at WOT and no radar!

The LHC is the best tool we have to get as close to the big bang as possible. I do believe the big bang did happen, it is just interesting to speculate what might have brought about the creation of our universe at the instant.

You are correct about the practical use of the information we get from the LHC. I for one am very interested in the Higgs Boson. I'm more then intrigued to find out what particle gives elementary particles mass.

No radar is going to clock that speed

-jeff

 

[attila]

you know guys, we live 3 hours away from CERN but I'm more dangerous than their BEAMS when I eat BEANS and in a couple of hours I get the HOLE BLACK! ahahaha

 

[jelms]

you know guys, we live 3 hours away from CERN but I'm more dangerous than their BEAMS when I eat BEANS and in a couple of hours I get the HOLE BLACK! ahahaha

I'm sure the energy you expel after a night of big bean eating is much greater than the totally energy the LHC is pushing Plus you could obviously kill more with your gas than any micro black hole could ever do

:rock: :rock: :rock:

 

[Prof]

http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2006/05/the_worlds_most_1.html

 

[jelms]

http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2006/05/the_worlds_most_1.html

I have read the Time magazine's list of the most influential "Scientists & Thinkers" I for one would never dispute anyone on this list. They are all great thinkers in science. All these people are well known in scientific circles for their excellent work.

One thing I found a little disappointing is that Time did not add another list of the great teachers of science. One glaring fault most scientists have is their inability to speak to the layman that doesn't have an educational base for their work. I believe there are very few scientists that can talk to the masses and get them excited about learning the scientific method. I for one had very good teachers during the 70's and 80's that got me excited about science. When Sagan came along with the Cosmos series I was completely sold. He was able to take very complex theories and make non-scientific people excited about learning more about the sciences. Maybe I grew up in a time when America viewed science as a very honorable profession. It is sad that since the passing of Sagan there has been very few that have reached out to the public about science and the good that it can do.

One theoretical physicists that I have been watching for a while is Dr. Kaku. He has a couple of shows on the Science Channel that I find very interesting. His personality and way of talking about complex issues is very non-threatening to those that have not studied science.

With that said here is another list:
http://science.discovery.com/convergence/100discoveries/big100/physics.html

It's kind of interesting that this list has no recent discoveries.

-jeff

 

[Black1]

I also found this Jeff:

"The particle collider is a tremendously important area of research for the world. Not only will it tell us something more about the "big bang" (assuming the event actually did happen), but it will tell us a great deal about the nature of reality itself.

It also has the potential of unlocking secrets about the latent energy within these particles that could one day lead to an inexhaustible and perfectly harmless source of energy for our homes, businesses and automobiles."

But in my mind the biggest benefit would be to drive in the seventeen mile circuit at WOT and no radar!

Sign me up!!!

:rock:

 

[OCBob]

There was a show on History last night about this, all I can say is WOW!