Wednesday, September 10, 2008

A paradox, a paradox...

Photo from The Age.

To be honest, I'm actually rather excited about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) being fired up today. This might be a fantastic way of finding out more about particle processes, dark matter and explore the differences between matter and anti-matter.

Maybe there is a possibility of it causing black holes or the end of the universe or something, but meh. Why not see what happens? I highly doubt it's going to cause the end of ages or the world to be sucked in to itself or a profusion of purple velvet flared trousers to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

I'm astounded the scientists working on the project have been receiving death threats (and that article is also fantastic for this bit: "Prof[essor] Brian Cox of Manchester University, add[s]: 'Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a twat.'"). You sort of wonder, "What, so people are saying, 'If you cause the end of the world and kill everyone, I'm coming 'round to kill you!'?" People have more to worry about from climate change, and yet they get all hot and bothered about some particles colliding.

Even better is that there are a couple scientists who say this could be the beginning of time travel (see the quote by Professor Cox at the end of the article). Obviously they've been watching too much Dr Who. And who knows what might happen if people went back in time and accidentally stopped the LHC being created or some other paradox...

Update: Oh my goodness. People really are that stupid (although it is the Herald Sun) (thanks, RP).

4 comments:

Perseus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Perseus said...

Everytime someone with an inquisitive mind attempts to work out how the world works, it's the same chorus of morons that emerge from their bluestone caves and shout, "Stop messing with God".

The flat-Earthers probably employed the same hysteria.

If I believed there was a God, which I don't, but if i did, I would never think (and there's certainly nothing to suggest it in the Bible) that he would be all like, "Let there be light, but thou shalt not ever attempt to understand how this light is generated, what part it plays in photosynthesis, what light particles are or how they influence pressure systems, and anything else light-related. Just bask in it, dipshits."

But still, this comment made me laugh:


I DONT WANNA DIE A VIRGIN!!!! Posted by: Josh Kelly of Shit Town 12:54pm today
Comment 99 of 110

Della said...

That comment cracked me up too. Maybe he'd have more luck if he gave up reading the Hun...

It annoys me how much religious organisations in the past worked on repressing scientific exploration, even to the point of killing people for suggesting that maybe the earth wasn't the centre of the solar system.

I don't think God would want people to stagnate and never explore things or find out new information. Even if the exploration of things changes what/how you believe, at least you're using your brain.

Anonymous said...

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”
Galileo Galilei


Also, check out xkcd on the matter.