Comments on: Report: Early Warning System Needed for LHC

By: Isabelle

Isabelle — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:59:16 +0000

In our local paperin Geneva they say that the CERN will maximize the evacuation capacity of refrigarating gases on the 27 kilometers of the LHC tunnel…. I wonder:
1. what kind of gas was / is used to refrigerate?
2. what they did with it on december 11th when they decided to let the tunnel heat up again (that took a few weeks) in order to go and have a look at the damages.
3. will they use the same gas (if they stored it /how / where/) or a new supply to refrigerate the 27 kilometers of tunnel…. I wonder how much gas that is? And when it will escape through the maximized evacuation channels what will the effect be on the local environment?
I would really like to know, even if the above questions are not related to the glorious research conducted via the LHC…. that point is a real issue depending on the kind of refrigerating gas used… (we all know what a regrigerator is, don't we?)
Is there anyone there to answer this matter of fact concern?
.

By: marcellus

marcellus — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:27:48 +0000

I don't think the LHC has detected that particle yet.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:16:26 +0000

Gwyndion said

" have to wonder what the LHC will do to 'improve humanity'. I've never actually worked that part out."

Re: Gwyn and others who doubt the LHC and similar science expendatures.

Actually, I agree. If they do discover/confirm the Higgs boson, or some other currently unexpected particle, it will probably turn out to be totally irrevelant to everyday life, just like that pesky electron which Thompson discovered and which we all know never amounted to a hill of beans for any of us.

PS: does your smoke detector contain Americium?

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:13:16 +0000

Science, be it Fundamental or compuncted in the fields of physics or social all start with a mark to parchment (of a beast not a human) when life becomes someones narcissistic its time to send that person to their home. with the agreed upon, the wage to the job they were to do. The exploration of our universe is the gift of time to the future fields. The art of law to life needs to be in fair taste of civil respect. Money is an art. Natural people grow with good balance of both male and female mind to men and to woman, to understand were home is and work to make it an oasis to the desert of our fields.

By: alandee

alandee — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:34:02 +0000

I wish i could read the bit of paper stuck in the clear slip on the RHS .. can only assume with an arrow it says : "this bit broken" ..

"The unravelling of the fabric of the Universe has just been delayed and the physics revolution can wait a few more months…" <– Brilliant synopsis.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:44:11 +0000

Usman, if you are referring to the LHC news, I expect that it will prove to have quite a lot to do with astronomy. Astronomy has also given scientists insights into fundamental physics questions. If you are referring to the "social engineering" discussion, perhaps not so much. I imagine, however, that to those women who were brutalized, it might seem important that someone cares, even if it has little to do with astronomy.

By: Usman

Usman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:26:23 +0000

I am actually wondering the relevance of this news to a astronomy news website.

By: edu

edu — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:30:38 +0000

Well, I am glad that the people in charge whose opinion actually matter choose to invest 20 million $$ in the problems of science and not the problems of society.
Go argue about social politics somewhere else.
This is a scientific blog.

By: Ben Shelef

Ben Shelef — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:29:42 +0000

Gwydion – you can't stop a landslide by stopping each rock. Social disease is best treated by improving society, so things which were once (or are elsewhere) considered the norm are now considered and treated as crimes.

Modern society, in which throwing acid at women is unacceptable, is mostly a product of the enlightment – transportation, communication, availability of goods…

If you had $20M 300 years ago, do you think you could have advocated for these women?

It is very difficult to advocate gender equality in a society that is constantly preoccupied with simple survivial.

So there's your connection – burning witches (and owning humans, and just simple rape and murder) used to be the norm, and now they are crimes, and the "LHC-type people" have a lot to do with it..

Looking forward, if we don't get a lot better at science and technology, we run the risk of reverting back to a primitive society, with all the horrific consequences that you can read about in the newspapers if you get past the front-page politics.

The results of LHC will save a lot of lives in the next centuries, but most people won't make the connection.

So there, rant over.

That said, when I left the supermarket, I did give my $ to an abused women shelter, not to the NSF.

By: Little brother - Israel

Little brother - Israel — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:26:36 +0000

Every pressurized system suposed to be equiped with flow switch and some shut-off valves. I wonder about the designers there.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:13:38 +0000

Actually, it was not CERN who started the Internet. The Internet was an offshoot of ARPA. CERN gave us WWW (the web) which is just 1 part of the Internet. WWW may be the most visible/popular part of the Internet these days but it is by no means the Internet. Before WWW, we were communicating results, findings and porn via email, email lists, newsgroups, FTP, etc.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:49:43 +0000

It will also improve information storing techniques – something that will help alot too. It was actually CERN that started the internet to communicate results and findings.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:40:12 +0000

Hey Gwydion, stopping angry men from throwing acid on the faces of women doesn't require an expensive scientific experiment. Changing the way men think about women and changing legislation to require harsher penalties for the twisted men who do that would help.

The LHC has the potential to improve our lives by leading us to a better understanding of the fundamental laws of matter and energy. Without that crucial understanding our technology won't go much further. We need more insight into the laws of nature if we want to make things like cold fusion and other advanced technologies work. With those advanced technologies we'll be able to, for example, break away from our dependence on burning hydrocarbons for energy.

By: Gwydion

Gwydion — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:42:44 +0000

I have to wonder what the LHC will do to 'improve humanity'. I've never actually worked that part out.

20 million dollars to run campaigns for women who have their faces burnt off by angry men throwing acid at them. There's an experiment that will improve humanity as a whole

By: edunuke

edunuke — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:28:10 +0000

leigh:
Be happy they are spending that money in something that actually helps improve humanity as a whole.

By: edunuke

edunuke — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:26:43 +0000

the more redundant equipment the better for safety and accident prevention. Of course, there is a trade off since there are budget constraints.
Hopefully they fill resolve this soon and start the machine again! yay!!!

By: leigh

leigh — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:41:42 +0000

and someone said we got no money