End of world? Critics Fear Collider Could Doom Earth

reply to post by bknapple32


Now I hear this will be turned on in July.. Can anyone verify this?

[edit on 7/6/2008 by Ex]

[edit on 7/6/2008 by Ex]

Delete the post above & this one, Please

Originally posted by sollie
Spend ten billion dollars on a giant underground hoola hoop and it's "Hey - there - I saw it! - That's a new type of neutrino! Quick! Write a report!" Experiment over. "Yep, that was well worth the 1000s of manhours construction and cuts to the health budgets of 15 countries to fund," says the Head Physicist as he hitches up his pants.

And where do you think those ten billion dollars (more likely Euros, but I digress) went? Do you think that your Theoretical Physicist (couldn't resist that one) just collected all of that money into a big pile, chanted "Let E equal MC Squared! Let E equal h Nu!", dropped a match, and out of the smoke of burning bills, a particle accelerator materialized? That money went to contractors (who used it to pay employees, and buy materials from suppliers), and to craftsmen (who used it to buy supplies and tools), and they kept a bit of profit for themselves, which they then spent on groceries, utility bills, and new cars (which were made by companies that had to buy parts from suppliers, and pay employees...and so it goes). The money didn't, in short, vanish...it flowed through the economies of the participating nations, helping to support families, companies, and national economies around the world. On top of that, a device was created which will lead to a better understanding of the nature of matter, and the way matter is created. Far from causing cuts in health care in 15 countries (I don't suppose you can document those cuts, and tie them to this particular project?), the taxes paid by various recipients of this project's funds could easily push more revenue into the governments' pockets, but that's a calculation for another set of batteries.

Benefits? Truck that. You could feed Africa, India and half of Asia with the money it cost to make and run the bloody thing. "Benefits" to humanity can scarcely enter into discussions about multibillion dollar high tech physics projects run by rich, powerful, banking, war sponsoring, earth raping industrialised countries. Ridiculous.

How, pray, would you feed Africa, India, and half of Asia with the money for this project? Serve up a healthy salad of shredded currency with bleu cheese dressing for everybody? Money isn't an edible, it's an economic tool...and the last time I looked, those same "rich, powerful, banking, war sponsoring, earth raping industrialized countries (more about that in a minute)" that you curse so roundly pour more money into the impoverished areas of Africa than Africa generates on its own...and hunger is still there. The problem of hunger in a lot of the third world has less to do with a lack of money than with a lack of agricultural know-how and an abundance of corruption. Now, assuming that you can transform cash directly into food (and a distribution system to deliver it), here's a counter-question for you: How DARE you sit at your several hundred dollar computer while children are starving? Don't you know that for the price of that computer, UNICEF could feed a child for MONTHS? For SHAME! How can you be so cold - hearted? Is FreeCell more important than human well-being?

Yes, that last was / is sarcasm, directed toward someone who doesn't seem to understand that there's nothing wrong with a nation being prosperous, understanding banking, or being industrialized...particularly when the person so willing to castigate such nations is a resident of one such, and seems perfectly happy to enjoy the very 'decadence' of the society he's (she's?) so critical of. There's a word for that, you know...the Terms of Service probably won't let me use it, but it starts with the letters H-Y-P, and sounds a bit like the name of an ancient Greek physician.

Another question, if I might. How, exactly, does one "rape" a planet? I wasn't aware that celestial bodies had sex, be it voluntary or otherwise.

Nevertheless, it would be humoursly pathetic to see black holes, antimatter, dark matter and alternate universes bubble out of this thing, tearing shreads through our pristinely designed existence.

What do I think? Decadence.

I think you have an odd idea of 'humor', but that's just me.

As for your assertion that ""Benefits" to humanity can scarcely enter into discussions about multibillion dollar high tech physics projects run by rich, powerful, banking, war sponsoring, earth raping industrialised countries. ". BoScat. Benefit should ALWAYS enter any discussion about research or scientific undertaking, and I hate to break it to you, but it takes rich, etc and so forth countries to undertake big science...which then turns around and spins off benefits left and right. Look at another 'big science' project....the space race. Just about every nation on Earth benefits from that multi-billion dollar 'waste of money'...not because of a few pounds of lunar rocks and few tons of film...but from satellite communications and weather forecasting, and improved materials, and advances in every field from electronics to chemistry and medicine, all pushed by "One small step for man". Do I know what benefits we (as a race) might gain from the research done at this facility? Nope...and neither does anyone else. Does that mean that there won't be any? No...in fact, if history is any indication, there will be more than we can imagine.




[edit on 6-7-2008 by Brother Stormhammer]

reply to post by Brother Stormhammer


star for you brother. my feelings exactly. one question that hasnt been answered, is this being turned on this month or next?

reply to post by Brother Stormhammer


edit: double post

[edit on 6-7-2008 by bknapple32]