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## The LHC and the End of the World

We can’t let the official “switch-on” of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) pass without comment. The goal of the LHC is to find the Higgs Boson, the last particle of the standard model of particle physics (“the standard model”) that has yet to appear in the debris of a collision in a particle accelerator. The standard model is a phenomenally successful theory – the existence and properties of the menagerie of particles that emerge from particle accelerators can be predicted with astonishing accuracy, using mathematical equations.

If the Higgs Boson is found, it will join the other successful predictions of modern physics. The fact that successful predictions are commonplace makes it easy to overlook the astonishing fact that mathematical equations and physical reality are somehow intertwined. Paul Davies, in his book “The Goldilocks Enigma” remembers sitting in his school library, using Newton’s laws to predict how far away a ball thrown on sloping ground will land. A girl he had taken a fancy to asked what he was doing. He explained. She was skeptical: “how can you possibly know what a ball will do by writing things on a sheet of paper?”

That’s a very good question, but not one that physicists ask themselves very often (and for good reason – we know it works so just get on with it!). I guess that the two most common answers would be: “because we can watch lots of balls being thrown and look for a pattern”, or “I don’t know, but it works!”. The problem with the first answer is that is naturally prompts the question: “then how can we predict what will happen in cases that no one has ever seen before?”. Remember: no one has ever seen a Higgs Boson, or even created a particle that heavy. And yet we’re confident that it’s there. I know it’s a metaphysical question, but I can’t help it: why does theoretical physics work? Why do we keep getting things right?

And yet, the real hope for the LHC is that it will produce something new, something we haven’t predicted. A list of possibilities and tentative odds can be found in this post over at Cosmic Variance. The reason for this hope is nicely captured in this quote, pilfered from Antony Lewis:

“Those of us engaged in scientific research generally do it because we can’t help it – because Nature is the biggest and most complicated jumbo holiday crossword puzzle you have ever seen” – Ed Hinds, New Scientist Sept. 1997

If the results of the LHC were all predictable by the standard model, then it would be like picking up a book of crosswords and discovering that they had all been solved already. On one hand, you have all the answers. On the other hand, there’s nothing left to solve, nothing to stretch your brain cells. The standard model is fantastic, but we want to know what lies beyond it.

And finally, to all those who expected the world to end today, I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait. The LHC doesn’t actually start smashing protons together until after October 21st. Today was just sending protons one-way around the ring. To say it once again: nothing will happen in the LHC that hasn’t already happened approximately

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

times to planet Earth naturally, thanks to cosmic rays. And you can add many more zeros to count how many times high energy particles have been created around stars, neutron stars and the like.

There seems to be a lot of confusion generated by the connection between the LHC and the Big Bang. The idea that “the LHC will recreate the conditions moments after the big bang” seems to morph into the idea that “the LHC will create a new big bang”. Let me put it this way. As we go back in time, the average cosmic temperature goes up. So, for every temperature above 2.7K (the cosmic temperature today) you can say that “we are recreating the conditions of the universe at some time t”. For example, if you light a match, you are recreating the conditions of the universe when it was over 300 times smaller than it is today. You are certainly not recreating the big bang. Saying that “the LHC will recreate the conditions moments after the big bang” is simply to say that the LHC will create some very hot (i.e. energetic) particles.

The whole thing does raise an interesting question, though. The day will come when particle accelerators will be able to create phenomena that have no astrophysical precedent (i.e. not even cosmic rays are energetic enough). Scientists will calculate the probability that the experiment will endanger the human race. But where do you draw the “too dangerous” line? $10^{-20}$? $10^{-50}$? $10^{-100}$? How do you do a risk analysis when the entire universe is at stake?

### 6 Responses

1. Two new developments: To illustrate the idea that we hope the LHC shows us something new, here’s a quote from Stephen Hawking:

“I think it will be much more exciting if we don’t find the Higgs. That will show something is wrong, and we need to think again. I have a bet of \$100 that we won’t find the Higgs.”

Secondly, my wife is a fifth grade teacher. Some of her students announced that the world was going to end today because “they’re going to create a new big bang except its going to be really small so there will be a new really small Earth with new really small people”.

2. […] Berian 4:59 pm Luke’s recent LHC post has goaded me into making sure other important events do not pass without appropriate […]

3. O is One

Changes never end
That is never change ever……
one thing is the change
without anything else ever….
Sometime I try to find to
for the true of life……
What is the life?
And why all of everything happens
at here in the Galaxy
and the world?
We could to knows
in the first time of the Universe
it could start come from
nothing or empty
by without the empty
or No the empty though
No everything or it’s the “O”
But in certainty so
“Nothing” is a thing
or “O” is the one like-wise
So I can see in the first time
of the Universe happened
it could not be start
come from the empty
because it’s have a thing
being before all the times
that is nothing
cause the meaning of nothing
that is a thing
Yes, a thing that is the empty
but that it’s not the empty
like we understood
Something we called it’s the empty
but not be so like that
And what is it?
All that I can see a thing
it still never change ever
So could you believed or not?
Everything and every-life
never to be lost out of the Galaxy
or all the Universe
And that because
when all everything to the end
it will became nothing empty again
but no lose all
because nothing
that is a thing one more
How everything happened
at here in Galaxy or the Universe?
When everything it can happens
and when it lost out of the Universe
Why it cannot come back again?
Yes or not
But in the true of everything
It will be come back
to start again forever
Because all the Galaxy of
the Universe all of everything
all is the One
And nothing empty is the One
It is the One never change
Never lose
Never end ever
Everyone have been so like this
We are everyone never knew
Yes or not
That we have been circle never end
Between birth and die like everything
Cause all space in the Universe
Without back side
Or out side of space
And that is “O” nobody
When whatever life to the end
Or die and the Universe
No space to keep and hide them
So everything every-life
that to be lose or die
When the time of them come
All will start to happen again
And circle never end
It’s not the reason
If you will talk about is
When all everything to be lose
And to the end
And it will not come back
To start again anymore
The most important that is
all everything can happened
in this now when it can happens
And when it lost it will must
turn back to happens again
Everything that the eyes can see
in this now that is
the reasons and most important
that be lost and
it will happens again ever
When everything
there’s in front of the eyes
in this now
all happened from the empty
and when it lost and gonna be
the empty and from the empty
that become back as everything
all that the eyes can see
in this now
like in the first time of
the Universe all that’s nothing
so but everything happens
as that you can knew
when you read that I wrote
and how you think of about it
But everything
cannot be as usual forever
So when all everything
changes never end
that is never change……
And I can see to something add up
That is in the Universe or Galaxy
In certainty
Universe without the time
There happens from
changes never end
That’s never change
the time………….
The walking of the time
It always ran never stop
Every-time when it walking
It will always make space
and distance add up to ever
The empty making
chemical reactions
with atoms of everything
Explain is everything
in the Universe that
the eyes can see and
we can touch to knows
all that is one piece
and nothing empty
that is piece one more
the pieces both make
reactions together
And if whenever the time
to the end real or stop,
All space, distance and speed
It will be lost with the time
And everything is “O”
When it is “O”
That is one piece (nothing-empty)
In this case O was One finished
And this piece will start to make
new reactions with piece one more
(or new nothing-empty one more)
together again never had to stop
right here it will new atom happens
for every-time ever
In the true nothing-empty
it will always have stand forever
whenever that have anything happen
it will have nothing happen follow
altogether forever
(it’s automatic time-real)
All everything every-life
never to be eternal ever forever
: Nothing-empty is
center one of the Universe
center all of the time
That is all the reaction of reasons
and everything make energy by
change itself forever
But the time is distance
connection with speed
When it has

4. […] to fly in is built. I want an expert. Its the same with medicine, the economy, the environment and particle physics. Eco World Content From Across The Internet. Featured on EcoPressed Obama Takes Steps to […]

5. Thanks for this post, mate. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Higgs boson given the latest news!

6. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz reply as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. cheers