Stephen Hawking at the Racetrack

afp.google.com...

"Renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has bet 100 dollars (70 euros) that a mega-experiment this week will not find an elusive particle seen as a holy grail of cosmic science, he said Tuesday."

Stephen Hawking's so much celebrated mind decided to play it safe and bet against the favorite mere 100 bucks. Obviously Hawking can't either afford to lose more than $100 or his prediction is based on a mere hunch. Which case is which?

Or does the professor's prediction include the scenario where a black hole created by the collider swallows the whole installation before the physicist get the chance to find the "Gods particle?"

[edit on 9/9/2008 by stander]

Perhaps the man is starting to believe that the god particle can't be found because the actual dark matter that holds galaxies together is the force of Gods own invisable hand.

Why is he at the racetrack? His chair isnt that fast! Oh, I was thinking of the wrong racetrack.

Sorry, bad joke.

Anyways, $100? That guy can afford more than that. must not be too sure of himself, eh?

Or is just a friendly wager between friends that he leaked to the media to draw more attention to the event. I believe he is part of a dying breed of scientist that discovers for the excitement and mystery of the universe, not for money.

It would seem on the surface of it a safe bet....... I am lead to belive that it will take months to create the energies for peak acceleration of particles.

My new mantra: NO STRANGELETS ohmmmmmmmmmm

reply to post by ninthaxis


I agree with you. I, too, think it was just a friendly wager. In the words of a character from Stargate SG-1: I'm a scientist, even when I'm proven wrong it's as exciting as when I'm proven right.

Or words to that effect...it's been awhile since I've seen that episode.

he isnt much of a gambler he has already lost one bet on black holes, probably why he only bet $100

The physicist was forced to concede a bet he made with American theoretical physicist John Preskill in 1997 as he unveiled his new theory on Wednesday. Preskill had doubted Hawking's theory that black holes destroy everything that falls into them. Hawking now says information can escape from within them.

Hawkings conceeds black hole bet

wether he wins or looses the information gained should be interesting.. as long as we dont all get destroyed first (but thats an issue that has been argued already on many threads and pointless of starting it up here)

[edit on 9-9-2008 by Demandred]

Some 15 billion years ago in the space that the universe reside in, there was another universe with many galaxies, one of them very much resembling Milky Way. At the edge of that galaxy, there was a planet very much resembling our planet. On that planet, there were folks very much resembling us. One day, they decided to look for an elusive particle, so they built a super collider. Things collided super and a new universe was born.

This Big Bang-causing theory has a flaw though: The cost of the LHC -- some 10 billion -- doesn't match the age of the new universe. So here's my 2 bucks that it didn't happen that way.

Well, let's wait and hear what kind of bang will echo from Switzerland -- or from France?

Originally posted by Alora
reply to post by ninthaxis

 

I agree with you. I, too, think it was just a friendly wager. In the words of a character from Stargate SG-1: I'm a scientist, even when I'm proven wrong it's as exciting as when I'm proven wrong

That may be true for an ordinary scientist. But there is much more to the competitive, personal ego-driven world of academic hot shots: www.timesonline.co.uk...

“From a particle physics, quantum theory point of view, you have to put a lot more than just gravity into the theory to have a consistent theory and I don’t think Stephen has done that. I am very doubtful about his calculations.”

(So am I. Actually I didn't go through them all, to be honest . . . [jk])

The "big bang" from LHC will be surely heard in Sweden where Nobel Prices are decided. The finding of Higgs boson would surely elevate Peter Higgs into scientific sainthood. But Stephen Hawking would like a piece of pie for himself as well. And so that's why they bicker. "Brother against brother, nation against nation . . ." Why did they dub that little sucker "God's particle?" It kind of smells of sulphur.

It looks like Marshall Barnes, an R&D engineer, has offered to take Hawking up on his bet -www.prlog.org...

Looks like Stephen's quiet now...