Comments on: Quickie science

By: Tony D

Tony D — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:45:48 +0000

Lol it's all good, they sent Gordon his crowbar

By: slow afternoon at work in spring

slow afternoon at work in spring — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:27:10 +0000

The lab now has 2 cameras on line .
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http://www.cyriak.co.uk/lhc/lhc-webcams.html

By: Luke Weston

Luke Weston — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:51:39 +0000

“There are things that could go very wrong with the Large Hadron Collider. Those concerned with it have been supremely arrogant and downright reckless ….”

Oh come off it. What things that could go very wrong? Based on what science? What are the risks, and what is their basis in the actual science?

Andyc: Absolutely true, it’s very tragic indeed, and journalists certainly have a lot to answer for.

By: Andyc

Andyc — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:58:34 +0000

Adrien @56: “Well the Giant Particle Smashing Thingy has claimed its first victim. “

No. The huge beat-up of a piece of nonsense by ignorant, sensationalist journos killed her. And the lack of any equally loud public dissemination of the Voice of Informed Common Sense.

How very sad.

By: Andos

Andos — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:33:47 +0000

Cheers, Tim. No hard feelings.

The Superconducting Supercollider was doomed from the start; to keep down costs, they tried to squeeze it into a ring which was too small for the energies that they wanted to use. Then they couldn’t afford the hugely powerful superconducting magnets to make it work in that smaller ring… cost blow-outs leading to the project never being completed. The LHC designers learnt from that.

For some info on international research into fusion energy:
The International Tokamak Experimental Reactor
http://www.iter.org/a/index_nav_1.htm
Scheduled to produce first plasma in 2016.

For some info on international research into gravity waves:
The Laser Interferometry Space Antenna
http://lisa.nasa.gov/index.html
Projected to launch in 2013.

Admitedly, that research is a few years away yet but I wouldn’t call it infinitesimal.

By: Tim Macknay

Tim Macknay — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:42:04 +0000

I remember the American version – think it was called the “Superconducting Supercollider”. You ask me, the problem was all in the name. If they’d called it the “Cosmic Ass-kicker” or the “Superconducting Commiebasher” Congress probably would have funded it.

By: Adrien

Adrien — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:31:35 +0000

I should add that despite my glib bollocks I’m really thrilled about the LHC. We might be getting all sorts of bits of tasty stuff. It’ll be for inner space what the Hubble is for Outer Space.
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I’m spacey man. Far out.

By: Adrien

Adrien — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:29:28 +0000

Well the Giant Particle Smashing Thingy has claimed its first victim. It’s a sad little illustration of India. After all India’s a major contributor to CERN. Stuck halfway between the Dark Ages and the post-Enlightenment. She swallowed pesticide. I’d much rather get sucked into a black hole – much more painless. I think.
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Talking of being stuck halfway between the modern and dark ages does anybody remember that around 15 years back the US congress knocked back funding for a much bigger collider? A congressman asked if they’d find God with it. The answer was that they might find the bosun. Guess that wasn’t spectacular enough. It’s funny how these people with ‘faith’ need proof.
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Oh America you are stuck between the ages. And, unlike India, you’re pointing backwards.

By: Roger Jones

Roger Jones — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:21:34 +0000

Marlon – you own this thread!

Only when I larfed

By: Marlon

Marlon — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:10:44 +0000

Definition of a “Quickie” It wont hurt did it?