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Newsflash: The LHC Won’t Punch a Hole in the Earth After All…

by Ian O'Neill on June 21, 2008

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The complexity of the Large Hadron Collider (CERN/LHC/GridPP)
Its official: We’re not going to be blown up, smothered in stranglets, sucked into a black hole or turned into ooze by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). To put any concerns to rest, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) has concluded in another approved safety report that the LHC is harmless and will not hurt us, our planet or the Universe. This new investigation builds on previous findings that the LHC is safe, reiterating what scientists have been telling us for years. Besides, the LHC isn’t doing anything that nature isn’t already doing every second…

I actually thought the LHC safety reports were done and dusted (the original report was actually completed in 2003), but it seems, to be thorough, CERN wanted to re-confirm their previous conclusions that the LHC was safe and ready for use later this year.

The LHC is understandably under intense scrutiny and will be subject to a range of audits from safety to environmental impact. This new report commissioned to investigate whether any of the theoretical particles created in the LHC collision chamber could pose a threat, not only to the cows and sheep in the Swiss countryside, but to the Earth and the Cosmos. Strengthened with experimental and observational research, the new report prepared by a team of physicists at CERN, UC Santa Barbara and the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has covered all the factors from previous safety investigations, and again concluded that the LHC is… safe.

As with any high-energy experiment, scientists and governments are under increased pressure to ensure every step is being taken to safeguard against any catastrophic accident. The LHC, soon to be the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, has seen more criticism than most physics experiments. For one, it is expensive (£2.4 billion or $4.7 billion), so collaborating governments and institutions want to know where their money is going, but second, CERN wants to avoid public misconceptions about what harm the LHC could do. This is epitomised in a recent lawsuit a Hawaiian man filed against CERN, citing the new accelerator might generate a black hole (that the Earth would get sucked into) or create a chain reaction, unleashing exotic “stranglets” on the planet. This is an extreme case of a misconception about what the LHC is capable of, so it seems essential that in-depth studies into LHC safety must be carried out continuously.

Listed is the safety reports perceived LHC threats (with likelihood of occurrence in parentheses):

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  • Microscopic black holes (not very likely): Although it would be pretty cool if micro-black holes were generated, the report concludes that this event will be unlikely, although theoretically possible. If a micro-black hole was produced by an LHC collision, it is very likely that it would evaporate very quickly (via Hawking Radiation), making it difficult for any observation attempt. If a micro-black hole was produced but it didn’t evaporate (which isn’t possible, in theory), depending on its charge, it would behave differently. Charged, the micro-black hole could interact with matter and get stopped as it tries to pass through the Earth. Un-charged, the micro-black hole will pass straight through the Earth and into space (as it will be weakly interacting) or simply hang around inside our planet. We know collisions between cosmic rays and the Earth’s atmosphere happen naturally, often at higher energies than the LHC. Therefore, if micro-black holes are possible, the only option would be that they evaporate very quickly.. Besides, even if they were stable, they cannot suck in any matter and grow because they will have minimal gravitational influence over matter. Boring really…
  • Strangelets (practically impossible): This hypothetical “strange matter” (containing up, down and strange quarks) could theoretically change ordinary matter into strange matter in a thousand-millionth of a second. This possibility was raised in 2000 before the opening of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in the US. This collider uses heavier particles than most of the LHC tests and therefore more likely to produce stranglets. In fact some of its experiments are set up to detect this strange matter. No stranglets have been found in eight years; not only that, but the chain reaction theorized (turning the world into a clump of strangeness) has no experimental foundation. Stranglets do not exist, and the LHC will not produce them.
  • Vacuum bubbles (practically impossible): Perhaps the Universe is not in its most stable configuration. Perturbations generated by the LHC could push it into a more stable state (a vacuum bubble), destroying the Universe as we know it. Not very likely. Again, collisions of higher energies happen throughout the cosmos, let alone in our own atmosphere, we’re still here, our Universe is still here (or is it?).
  • Magnetic monopoles (practically impossible): Hypothetical particles with a single magnetic pole, either north or south. If they could exist, they might mess around with protons possibly causing them to spontaneously decay. There is no reason to suspect they can exist, and even if they did, they could not be produced by the LHC as they are too heavy. Again, cosmic rays come to the rescue; as the high energy natural particle hit the atmosphere, their collisional energy is higher than the LHC. No magnetic monopoles, not end of the world.

Is that all there is? Surely there are more new and inventive ways to destroy the planet? Oh well…

So, it looks like we are in the clear for the grand switch on of the LHC! And now, you can have a ring-side seat, watching all the operations at the LHC via the array of webcams CERN has up and running:

Source: CERN

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[Check out my space blog: Astroengine.com]

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Hello! My name is Ian O'Neill and I've been writing for the Universe Today since December 2007. I am a solar physics doctor, but my space interests are wide-ranging. Since becoming a science writer I have been drawn to the more extreme astrophysics concepts (like black hole dynamics), high energy physics (getting excited about the LHC!) and general space colonization efforts. I am also heavily involved with the Mars Homestead project (run by the Mars Foundation), an international organization to advance our settlement concepts on Mars. I also run my own space physics blog: Astroengine.com, be sure to check it out!

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  • Frank Glover

    “What does the so-called “Fermi Paradox” have to do with the scenarios pertaining to the Hadron Collider ? The so-called Fermi Paradox” (which isn’t— after all, the very term “paradox” is a misnomer) is a SEPARATE ISSUE ! ”

    I think he’s suggesting that there’s a seeming lack of ET civilizations because they destroy themselves with LHC-type experiments before getting into space.

    And while thre’s a non-zero chance that SOME experiment or first use of some other technology we don’t have (yet) causes a suden, unforseen demise of the civilization that tries it, it still doesn’t follow that THIS is one of them…

  • zifferman

    I wish people were smarter than flipping out every time something new and unusual comes along that they don’t understand.

    It’s almost embarassing.

    Stupid talking monkeys. No bananas for you.

  • Gary

    Biggest threat to us is the ignorance of the masses, especially when the smart and evil are able to use it to their advantage.

  • Vanamonde

    Thank you, Jason Leary! Now, I am about tangentle was you can find but I see no relation between Fermi’s paradox and this topic.

    I blame the micropaleoanthropologists who rule the mass media and drive the culture of the commoners.

    Micropaleoanthropology is the study of the great culture significance of the last 15 minutes. Like on CNN, AP, The Dredge Report, FOX “News”, etc. Thank you, Eric Idle for that great word!

  • Joe Smith

    This safety report seems very cursory and dismissive to me. There’s lots of talk here about how these catastrophes are “unlikely,” and I agree in the qualitative respect that they are so. The real question, though, is just how unlikely they are. Even this is probably a large exaggeration of the real probability, but imagine that there’s a 1 in 10,000,000 chance of an earth destroying catastrophe. I think we can all agree that such a probability merits the qualitative description “unlikely.” Now, lets use elementary probability theory to calculate from this the expected value in lives lost from one activation of the LHC. It’s a simple matter to divide 6 billion (rough estimate of # of people) by 10,000,000 to get the expected return of 600 fatalities. Now the 1 in 10,000,000 chance doesn’t seem so rosy, considering that in a real probabilistic sense we can expect each activation to kill 600 people. I think the LHC is a valuable scientific instrument, and I think a sensitive and determined evaluation would probably put the probabilities so far out there that we needn’t concern ourselves, but I think it deserves more serious evaluation than simply “unlikely” or even “highly unlikely.”

    It’s also interesting that you dismiss strangelets for being unobserved, but in the part about black holes we’re very convinced about Hawking radiation, even though it is similarly unobserved.

  • Disinfo Agent

    [quote]This collider uses heavier particles than most of the LHC tests and therefore more likely to produce stranglets. In fact [b]some of its experiments are set up to detect this strange matter[/b]. No stranglets have been found in eight years; not only that, but the chain reaction theorized (turning the world into a clump of strangeness) has no experimental foundation. [b]Stranglets do not exist, and the LHC will not produce them.[/b][/quote]

    Is it me, or is that contradiction in their pocket?

  • Chuck R.

    Can’t they just flip th’sucker on right now? I’m bored.

  • Zach

    So… people think they are going to get swallowed by a blackhole in a month, and it’s completely preventable. Yet they aren’t doing something about it? Lawsuits in Hawii don’t count. Atleast try the continental U.S.

  • ants

    why do some people think this machine can destroy the universe? i can’t comprehend their ignorance. the universe has survived countless supernovae, quasar activity and all kinds of explosive jets of energy so far which involve almost incomprehensible amounts of energy and atom smashing and you’re worried about a few billion protons worth of energy spilling out!

  • Morrigan

    The reason this article from CERN does not use exact calculations is because it is a press release for the general public.
    The people who are going to read it don’t understand strings of numbers and though it might seem to some that this is dumbing things down unfortunately the majority of the general public know little about physics and maths.
    The idea is to keep things simple.
    If you do want a more detailed analysis have a search on the net. Some time back I came across a paper about this which went into great detail about this. Might be an idea also to get in touch with CERN who might be able to send more detailed information than is in the press release.

  • The mightyy google.

    Ä° am the google.

    Now first off, we are all safe.

    Even with the prediction that Nostraudamus had.
    Hes 400 years dead anyway, what would he know?

    (Btw i am ze googleé! if you dont get blown up, eventualy i shall eatz youé!)

    MWAHAHAHAHAHA

    remind me to get milk.

    MWAHAHAHA

  • Kedo Keiki

    This experiment should be shut down! I’d rather support the Taliban then see our planet and possibly the universe destroyed! And no i am not mad…. Msn is made by the government to spy on us and so our dragonflies… email me at kazendukzom@hotmail.co.uk

  • Kirsty

    From which comments i understand thanks to all the people who’ve put my mind at rest, i was in kittens as i only found out about the experiment yesterday in the newspaper, headlined, “we only have 9 days left to live until the world blows up” . From that moment i was in mental breakdown and wouldn’t leave my families side.
    So thankyou to the people who have given their opinions to what they think of this whole shamble.

  • Kirsty

    Er hello didnt you read the report??

  • http://www.universetoday.com Richard

    OK folks, Here is what I think they are up to at CERN, As Einstein postulated, E=M *C2.
    Now the equation is simple and straight forward enough. Energy equals Mass multiplied by the speed of light squared, Thats all it is. So CERN are basically accellerating particles at the speed of light in both directions to cause head on collisions resulting in terminal velocities of speed of light squared, impacts. The results will probably be the creation of energies with mass as they are the product of the equation transposed. Whatever happens i’m sure will be very interesting and of course prove and supercede old theories, about the make up of the universe. This will enable scientists to establish a greater understanding of quantum physics, which will of course lead to a greater understanding and ability to manipulate matter and who knows maybe even time itself.

  • Piyush

    Microscopic Black hole:
    If LHC will generate microscopic black hole then there are three possibilities.
    1. Scientist will able to trap it.
    2. Scientist will not be able to trap it but they can see it.
    If they can not trap it then it will be penetrating through the earth. If there is microscopic black hole in the center of the earth already present then LHC black hole will merge with that black hole. If presently there is no black hole in the center of the earth then?
    This black hole will straight go to the center of the earth and will start eating mass of the earth to generate light and may take years to transform earth in to a star like the sun.
    They can not see the LHC Black hole then after few years some one will find out that the earth is also producing light like the sun.
    The space is a huge bed sheet of time. If LHC will puncture in this bed sheet using protons as stone then the black hole will be the output as a puncture. Scientist assumed the theory of Hawking radiation otherwise LHC will definitely create primordial black hole. Even though Hawking radiation is not a proven principle of physics, how court had given permission to scientist to do this experiment?

  • Piyush

    LHC will not generate a Black hole:

    If suppose we assume that output of the LHC is not a black hole then. Even science don’t know the output that means 33.33% chance of steady black hole, 33.33% chance of unsteady black hole and 33.33% chances of something else.
    Why court have permitted this experiment even though for 33.33%?

  • Piyush

    Output of LHC is unsteady manhole:

    How they will prove that it was unsteady manhole?

  • Piyush

    zero output of LHC:

    If they find out nothing then:

    1)It will prove that there was a unsteady black hole which already penetrate thorough the earth, that science was not able to trap. It will create micro hole in the earth, nobody will be able to notice. It will generate more earthquakes and hurricanes on the earth, no stable weather on the earth. It will increase the gravity of earth. All airplanes need to be redesign. The gravity will increase day by day. We will feel heavy. We will not be able to bare our own weight.
    2) Second chance is : The proton had made a puncture and jumped into another world and Hawking radiation will seal the puncture. (black hole)

  • Piyush

    manhole = black hole in above. I said it manhole intentionally because it may becomes tomorrow’s manhole to enter to another world.

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