A minor collision
I imagine everyone has been posting about this today. There’s a media frenzy about a scientific endeavour, how cool is that?
Except for the fact that the media has, by and large, given far too much room to uneducated and highly-opinioned idiots claiming the world will end. I don’t mind a bit of joking about it, that’s a healthy stand to take – mocking our fear of new things – it’s human nature…
I think it’s also human nature, these days, to try and stop everything with a court case.
There have even been death threats aimed at the scientists. That’s appalling behaviour. Aside from there being no justification, or point, in threatening another human being in this way, it also suggests that these scientists would be reckless enough to risk their own existence and that of their family and friends on an experiment.
Poor show.
The big problem however is what happens now. Science is a marathon, punctuated by moments of revelation. It’s going to be months before we (obviously, not me, but my people) find anything interesting. The media really doesn’t work on that timescale anymore. Try minutes… try now.
I like to think of it like Christmas as a child… I’ll be waiting and hoping until it arrives… it’s going to seem like forever, and I might even lose a little sleep over it. And if the present turns out to be an Action Man instead of a Transformer, I’ll be happy anyway, because the LHC has brought science back into focus in a time where fear and ignorance are running the show.
…
On a less sciency note, I’ve made a mix tape – The lovely folks at Moue Magazine post a weekly compilation, and this week it’s one of mine. I tried to theme it – all of the songs remind me of Lancaster, in one way or another… and so that is my question today – which song reminds you of your home town?
’tis a shame that no-ones interested in anything aside from the sensationalised “WE ARE ALL DOOMED” story, and that there will be likely approximately zero public knowledge of the actual results of the thing… unless of course a crappy and broadly inaccurate documentary is eventually made (which will in all likelihood still spend far too much time discussing the WE ARE ALL DOOMED” scenario).
In case you can’t tell, I’m not a fan of TV…
I think these days, everything needs to be framed within an apocalypse context – the environment, terrorism, science, obesity, economy – and it is sad.
It’s one of the themes of this comic – the pre-occupation with the end as opposed to doing something in the present.
TV is perhaps the biggest culprit, and likely one of the instigators of this. Big explosions, special FX disasters and scaremongering make good television… saying ‘everything is OK’ does not. It is in the best interest of the media that we are kept in a state of ‘end game’ panic.
I love TV. I’ve learned a lot more from PBS and the History Channel and Star Trek than I have in school. It’s all a matter of picking out the real information from the bullshit, just like with the internet or real life.
I’m starting to convince myself that the people who seeded the rumors of possible annihilation are scientists involved in the project who realized that the mainstream media doesn’t understand what the Hell the thing actually is but if they think it might destroy all life on Earth then THAT’S news, my friends. It’s all a conspiracy to drum up publicity. I’d have done exactly the same thing.
You and me both… If it wasn’t for the box I’d know very little…
The truth is though that you can learn from any source so long as you have the skill to discern information.
I imagine you’re right too, that some of this controversy has been instigated by scientists trying to get publicity. Scientists like to pretend they are shy, retiring back-room boys, but the reality is that they are all wannabe rockstars with a thirst for international recognition and a record deal.
Bill Nye ftw
Firstly, how in the world would these guys dwelling underground have families. My mom said, “Maybe they don’t blow up the world, but they didn’t even ask US if we WANT them to turn it on.” She was joking… mostly. : )
Secondly, they didn’t collide anything today, I hope people get that.
Thirdly, I’m pleased to report you’re in the rotation of advertising on my website. : )
Thanks for the heads up.
“Firstly, how in the world would…”
That’s harsh. Funny, but harsh.
: D
Ya it’s funny basically all they did was turn on the lights today. The real experiments haven’t even started and won’t for months.
True, but I find that when I turn a lightbulb on I rip a hole through the universe…
It gives off radiation.
Been a lurker for awhile and been sniggering at the reactions that I have seen regarding CERN.
My sister came round and did the whole Maya calendar 2012 mini black hole thing made me giggle.
Keep up the good work Adam there is always some good reading here
hey there lurker,
I’m glad you’ve un-lurked yourself – it’s always good to meet hidden readers.
The Maya thing is amazing. There are very few days where someone hasn’t prophecised the end of the world happening.
There’s the fact that the Mayans used at least three calandars too…
I’d like to start a prophecy that the world will not end on 30th May 2009. Prove me wrong scientists, prove me wrong.
Thanks for your rather kind comments. Don’t be a stranger.
Ad
Well…to some extent doom sells….and we’re buying. As long as people allow marketers to shove whatever sells into our face, it will continue.
I really wish people would allow themselves to learn more about things for themselves, rather than trust what the TV tells them. It’s just silly.
I for one, can’t wait to hear the results of the tests in the coming years. And 2012…lol
Btw…the world is going to end when I die….just you watch. I’ll prove it to myself and you’ll see. lol
Has anyone else heard the rap that some of the scientists created? It was on the radio yesterday, rather funny. Although I can’t hlep but think it could have been turned on a lot earlier if they hadn’t been busy making up a rap about it.
Apparently, the first collision is scheduled on the 21st of October.
Its called the Large Hadron Rap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM
I would sell my soul/donate organs/give up theoretical future children for the chance to work a CERN for a month. When I rap about particle accelerators, people just look at me strangely.
maybe, but i think it was worth it
the LHC has been the subject of many recent conversations in our office. and its true, none of us really know a thing. actually the most puzzling par of the whole thing was that CNN said there was a pajama party before the first test.
as for a song that reminds me of my home town (lexington kentucky) is ‘Change’ by Blind Melon. I think its because i was the only one out of a large group of friends to go off to college (13 hours away) and then after move to sacramento california (3 day drive) (…. i measure everything in how long it takes to drive there, its really hard when i try and tell people where the bathroom is in my apartment)
oh wow, you’re from lexington? i go to UK (the university of kentucky, for others who might not know), cool!
adam: i read all your archives last summer and have been a fairly faithful reader since then. i’m pretty sure we’re friends on LJ? anyhoo, i love your work. and just about anything by belle & sebastian reminds me of my hometown of frankfort, kentucky. their music is mellow and lovely and reminds me of the fall afternoons in frankfort when the sky is blue and the leaves are orange and you feel your chest might explode from the beauty of home.
I love how B&S can make a sad song happy – ‘Like Dylan in the movies’ and ‘Get me away from here I’m dying’… they have such a melancholy.
From Ambroziak’s choice and yours, I can conclude that Kentucky has an interesting vibe about it… very laid back and reflective.
And thanks for reading, and commenting. We are indeed friends on the old livejournal and, just like eveyone else who reads my comic, I have subscribed to your rss feed… it’s like stalking, from afar.
Great song, great system of measurement.
I can’t imagine living threee days from my home town… that’s the thing with the UK, (as opposed to UK) you are only ever a day away at most.
I was also disappointed not to have to run from an expanding black hole like Atreyu fleeing from The Nothing. There’s always the next supercollider to look forward to I guess.
Or maybe… they actually DID rip a hole in the universe, and we all got sucked through it, and have already popped out the other side, and it happened so fast we didn’t even notice it.
There is a song by The Tragically Hip called The Luxury, and it references a hotel on the hill that overlooks my home town… “The Golden Rim Motor Inn / Soft water and a colour TV / So consumed with the shape I’m in / Can’t enjoy the luxury.” It’s a weird and dreary song, and so was growing up there.
When discussing the LHC in my Philosophy class one guy mentioned a hypothesis that if the black hole opened it would shrink us down to scale so fast that we wouldn’t even notice, just one day we’d look up and the sky would be totally different. I find this to be the most awesome of possibilities.
I don’t get why anyone would be against the LHC. If it goes well, life will be much nicer due to the better energy sources, etc, that we will have access to.
If it goes bad, then we all die and it won’t matter.
What the fuck is the point of making a death threat against the staff at CERN?
“IF yUo kIll us All Ni a BLackHIle Ill FiNd yoU ad Cill You twO”
Did somebody make death threats to the CERN people?
Adam links to the death threats story in the post but yes, the scientists were getting death threats from people who were certain the LHC would end the world.
I suppose I should actually pay attention to the links next time? RTFP.
Sadly yes, threats were made against the scientists at the LHC
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/05/scilhc105.xml
Lol. We posted at exactly the same time.