Comments on: Daily Show Explains the LHC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:31:31 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Michael Noonan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74503 Michael Noonan Sun, 10 May 2009 00:36:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74503 The probability of 1 in 50 million of a destructive incident was calculated for RHIC in 1994. At those odds the estimate was half a chance of destruction by 2100. Since no time frame was given a half a chance of destruction is still 50/50. The LHC will create a quark/gluon plasma 25 to 30 times greater with the lead cycle. Presumably the 50/50 option will arrive a whole lot sooner. The probability of 1 in 50 million of a destructive incident was calculated for RHIC in 1994. At those odds the estimate was half a chance of destruction by 2100. Since no time frame was given a half a chance of destruction is still 50/50. The LHC will create a quark/gluon plasma 25 to 30 times greater with the lead cycle. Presumably the 50/50 option will arrive a whole lot sooner.

]]> By: Chronik des Universums: April 2009 « Skyweek Zwei Punkt Null http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74246 Chronik des Universums: April 2009 « Skyweek Zwei Punkt Null Wed, 06 May 2009 23:49:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74246 [...] Reparaturarbeiten am LHC machen spürbare Fortschritte: Der letzte Ersatzmagnet ist im Tunnel - aber wie geht’s [...] [...] Reparaturarbeiten am LHC machen spürbare Fortschritte: Der letzte Ersatzmagnet ist im Tunnel – aber wie geht’s [...]

]]> By: Ellipsis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74237 Ellipsis Wed, 06 May 2009 22:03:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74237 Did you know .... that Walter Wagner is the evil twin of Harvey Newman at Caltech? Did you know …. that Walter Wagner is the evil twin of Harvey Newman at Caltech?

]]> By: j http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74129 j Tue, 05 May 2009 21:22:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74129 @maddox: Um, no. It's not that these collisions haven't happened before - it's that we haven't been able to do it in an environment that's controlled and directly observable. Far more energetic collisions happen in the atmosphere all the time, and though I haven't looked at the sky in the last hour, no black holes. That's why the probability is so low. Because it's already been tested. If we were colliding at energies beyond what the earth has experienced or what we've observed in the range of our telescopes, then we might be able to say we don't know the probability. @maddox: Um, no. It’s not that these collisions haven’t happened before – it’s that we haven’t been able to do it in an environment that’s controlled and directly observable. Far more energetic collisions happen in the atmosphere all the time, and though I haven’t looked at the sky in the last hour, no black holes. That’s why the probability is so low. Because it’s already been tested. If we were colliding at energies beyond what the earth has experienced or what we’ve observed in the range of our telescopes, then we might be able to say we don’t know the probability.

]]> By: Chris W. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74043 Chris W. Mon, 04 May 2009 23:35:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74043 A bit off-topic: Have you been noticing <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/01-the-biocentric-universe-life-creates-time-space-cosmos" rel="nofollow">what sort of stuff</a> Discover is publishing lately? A bit off-topic: Have you been noticing what sort of stuff Discover is publishing lately?

]]> By: maddox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74037 maddox Mon, 04 May 2009 22:27:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74037 @ NotJohnStewart: ps: If you asked scientists in the 1800s what is the probability for theories like quantum physics, special relativity, and general relativity to be true, they would unanimously said 0% ! And they would all have been dead wrong. Nobody knows how to calculate this probability since we don't what new revolution lies ahead. May be we see quantum gravity at the TeV scale against common expectations and no one really understands this theory. Everyone is quoting probabilities out of their ass but the truth is that nobody really knows. @ NotJohnStewart: ps: If you asked scientists in the 1800s what is the probability for theories like quantum physics, special relativity, and general relativity to be true, they would unanimously
said 0% ! And they would all have been dead wrong.

Nobody knows how to calculate this probability since we don’t what new revolution lies ahead. May be we see quantum gravity at the TeV scale against common expectations and no one really understands this theory. Everyone is quoting probabilities out of their ass but the truth is that nobody really knows.

]]> By: maddox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-74031 maddox Mon, 04 May 2009 21:50:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-74031 @ NotJohnStewart: Um, yes. at the very least we don't know what the probability is. @ NotJohnStewart: Um, yes. at the very least we don’t know what the probability is.

]]> By: NotJohnStewart http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-73987 NotJohnStewart Mon, 04 May 2009 16:54:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-73987 @ maddox: Um, no. @ maddox: Um, no.

]]> By: graviton383 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-73979 graviton383 Mon, 04 May 2009 14:48:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-73979 z Says: You wouldn't get that impression after 15min walk through the halls at CERN...I guess the probability is 50%. z Says: You wouldn’t get that impression after 15min walk through the halls at CERN…I guess the probability is 50%.

]]> By: z http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/comment-page-1/#comment-73940 z Mon, 04 May 2009 01:04:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/05/01/daily-show-explains-the-lhc/#comment-73940 If I were completely clueless about the physics community, one would get the impression from the daily show report that all physicists at the LHC were white males. If I were completely clueless about the physics community, one would get the impression from the daily show report that all physicists at the LHC were white males.

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