Large Hadron Collider Worst Case Scenario

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I apologize that Universe Today has been a little slow over the last couple of days. That’s because my webserver is completely bogged down with Google searchers worried that the world is going to end thanks to the Large Hadron Collider.

Don’t worry, it’s not. In fact, the twin proton beams fired for the first time today. Since you’re reading this, the Universe wasn’t torn apart.

But let’s just say that the Large Hadron Collider does create a microscopic black hole? What then… are we doomed? Nope. Ethan Seigel over at Starts With a Bang has done the calculations to figure out how massive a black hole would be created, and how much of the Earth it would consume if it fell down into the planet. He also calculates how long it should last before evaporating away. There you go, you can use these calculations to help your panicked friends realize there’s no need to worry about microscopic black holes.

Check out Ethan’s post, I won’t give away his final numbers.

And in a strange twist of irony, Google has changed today’s logo to celebrate the Large Hadron Collider. At least, that’s what I’m seeing here in Canada.