LHC: marvel of science or cause of the end of the world?
After 14 years of hard work and costing almost $10 billion, the largest particle accelerator has gone online. And the first experiment is already underway.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located in Geneva, Switzerland, involved over 10,000 collaborators from 111 countries, including more than a thousand American scientists.
LHC in Geneva
The main experiment of the LHC is quite simple: through its 27 km tunnel located 90 meters below the surface, protons will be sent at the speed of light, which will collide in a spectacular explosion, creating a situation very similar to the one that existed after the Big Bang (considered the "birth" of the Universe).
Part of the 27km tunnel
Obviously, all of this is microscopic – except for the energy involved in this experiment: the explosion will generate 14 trillion volts, and the experiment will consume 120 megawatts, enough to power 40,000 homes.
The LHC equipment is immense.
See the size of one of them compared to a person (below right)
This cinematic micro-explosion will create a microscopic and unstable black hole, which will disappear a few seconds later. Among the novelties that can be discovered with this experiment are dark matter, other dimensions, the "God particle," among others.
The explosion will be monitored by various equipment
and the result will be carefully analyzed by the scientific community
In addition to being something "wonderful" for scientists, this experiment could also bring real benefits: in telecommunications and computing, there could be a revolution in how data is transmitted and stored, as there will be a better understanding of the sub-atomic world.
In medicine, new technologies could be created, aiding in the treatment of cancer and a better understanding of the human body, and humanity could also benefit from the creation of new energy sources, such as controlled atomic fusion.
Part of the LHC
But the LHC also has its critics: many believe the experiment will create a black hole that will swallow our planet, killing everyone, and because of this, some scientists have received death threats.
In addition to the scientists involved in the development and construction of the LHC stating that this is not possible, the director responsible for the project informed that, if something goes wrong, the entire particle accelerator can be shut down in less than a second.
source: MSN Technology
