Bigthink - User Ideas Feed

The LHC is a big track, but is it a good spend?

Bigthink — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:39:09 +0100

Think of a circular train track, with two engines on. One is going clockwise and the other in the opposite direction. Eventually the trains will collide with each other.

Now "Hadron" (a train) is the name given to a class of sub-atomic particles. Atomic particles, or "atoms" are the things that make up everything you see in the Universe, they can be thought of as building blocks (atomic lego). The sub atomic particles are the sub building blocks of atoms. One such particle is called a "proton" and it's protons that are forced around the track (train-track) to eventually crash into each other.

I suspect you already know what "Large" and "Collider" mean, it's called "Large" because it's bigger than another similar device, and "Collider" because it forces two tiny objects (The so called "Hadrons") to smash in to each other.

Your photo actually shows one of the detectors that sits on the Large Hadron Collider. It picks up the debris that are flown out when the protons collide, and will detect some of the strangest particles that exist.

So in summary, the Large Hadron Collider is the track that the Hadrons move around in. The track is about 27 km long.

However, a more interesting question is "Is its possible discoveries worth the billions it cost to build?"

Should we see the stars?

Bigthink — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:10:25 +0100

: The Universe is an amazing place, and there is no better way to comprehend this than looking up into a night sky full of stars. For thousands of years the stars, the planets, the Milky Way and the other galaxies have been the backdrop to our night skies, inspiring us in many religious, philosophical and scientific ways. Unfortunately, the night skies have got ever brighter and the specular show is drowned out by ever increasing light pollution. Could this be causing a negative effect on us? Would a lookout on the Universe help us define our place within it? It is interesting to note that we have never known so much about the Universe than we do now and yet wit our own eyes we have never been able to see less of it.

Re: A Question

Bigthink — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:14:43 +0100

: A Response??

Is Broadband an essential utility?

Bigthink — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:53:57 +0100

: Will broadband eventually be a service as essential as water, gas or electricity? Is it already? You can already shop, bank, meet people, watch movies, see local and national news, pay bills, advertise, sell goods, work from home, even vote - how long will it be before some of these can only be done online? At that point it must be assumed that everyone has an internet connection.

Re: Will war between nations ever end?

Bigthink — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:20:05 +0100

: Yes. Certainly. Take Europe for instance. For thousands of years war has broken out between the nations it's even triggered wars that escalated across the world. One hundred years ago, peace across Europe would have seemed an impossible dream. However, now it's completely the opposite. War now between the nations of Europe seems ludicrous, I doubt anyone could imagine England invading France for instance, the region has never known such a stable time before. There's many reasons why this is, such as increased communication, open borders, exports and imports, a single currency, immigration, emigration. People now visit other nations, know and communicate with people throughout the world and relocate to states their forefathers would have known as enemies. War between nations will end because the concept of a "nation" will not survive. Eventually we will all be one people.