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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 6:14:20 GMT -5
Today's the 100th anniversary.
I remember being so fascinated by this as a kid, I think after I saw it on the original In Search Of.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 30, 2008 9:05:59 GMT -5
Thats weird that came up two months ago at my daughter's birthday. Someone was yapping about travel by black holes and only if they were near Earth, etc., etc.. So I came over and said what about that Tawama...er..Tuh-Guh-....you know the big tree blast thing in Russia. Of, course everybody knew what I was talking about but they never heard the black hole theory. I subsequently looked it up on the web and I guess they're not even running that "black hole" line anymore. What a bad conversation to have in the middle of a kid party peopled mostly with yammering broads!  |
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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 9:11:52 GMT -5
I've heard that theory, but I guess it's considered fringe science.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 30, 2008 10:09:00 GMT -5
Yeah, but having been indoctrinated through the "black hole version" ala some TV show (Maybe it was IN SEARCH OF...?), I can't help but approach their new theories in a cynical view. "Why can't a black hole do that?", etc., etc., etc... Gimme a B...!!!Gimme an L!! A...C...K...H..!!! O...L...E!!! Blaaaaaaaaaaack Hole! Blaaaaaaaaaaack Hole! They say fragments at the sight! I say quantum meteorites! Blaaaaaaaaaaack Hole! B...L...A...C...K...H..O...L...E!!!! ( Gene somersaults into the stands, explosively "Tunguska-ing" the seats into splinters... |
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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 10:40:42 GMT -5
One of the reasons for the controversy is that no fragments have ever been found.
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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 12:35:44 GMT -5
Speaking of black holes, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) is working on the Large Hadron Collider, a new particle accelerator and atom-smasherr that some critics fear could exceed physicists estimations and spawn a black hole that could swallow Earth or create hypothetical killer particles known as strangelets that could turn the planet into a hot dead clump.
I guess we’ll find out in August.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 30, 2008 12:50:07 GMT -5
Ouch! Well, it might just be naysayers for other reasons (politics, old technologies, etc.). Hopefully... |
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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 13:03:10 GMT -5
What's funny, but not really in a funny way, is that in some of the interviews I've read, in stead of saying, 'nothing like that is possible', the CERN guys say things like, 'that's not very likely'.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 30, 2008 13:06:17 GMT -5
Well, I got the gyst of it and it seems it might be vanity based. Some guy discovered some particle which he got some notoriety for then strangely later on he became a lawyer. The discovered particle's nature has gradually become questionable so this device may really eliminate his "find". So there was a legality put into play from his angle. So it might be an individualistic "doomsday" for him it seems.
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Post by Scott on Jun 30, 2008 13:30:59 GMT -5
That's much less dramatic.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 30, 2008 20:44:50 GMT -5
What's funny, but not really in a funny way, is that in some of the interviews I've read, in stead of saying, 'nothing like that is possible', the CERN guys say things like, 'that's not very likely'. It's odd, I just read a novel recently by Jack McDevitt titled ODYSSEY, and that is one of the themes in it. There is this deep space project with this long vacuum tube where they are trying to make tiny black holes to replicate the Big Bang in miniature. Reporters ask physicists back on earth if this could set off a massive chain-reaction... the physicists give the same answer as you state above, "No, it's not very likely" which is not very reassuring. Not very likely? So, it's possible. Then why the hell are you doing it!?! |
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GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Post by GT on Jul 1, 2008 4:55:00 GMT -5
There were no large fragments found at Tunguska, but they did find "micro-diamonds" which are consistent with a meteor strike. The two current theories with the most creedance are a comet that vaporized on impact or a large meteor ("asteroid" is in vogue now...) that vaporized in the air above ground zero. As to the hadron project, recall that some of the scientists of the Manhattan project weren't quite sure that their reaction would be contained--and it was done in Chicago! And then, some scientists speculated that the detonation of the first atomic bomb might set off a chain-reaction in the atmosphere. There just might be some military application to this project... ^__^
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Post by amalric on Jul 1, 2008 15:02:21 GMT -5
One of my friends works at CERN, and has done so for the best part of 20 years. I'll have to ask him how things are going there. On a more humorous note, there's no end of fun to be had from the fact that he moved to Switzerland and ended up marrying a girl called Heidi! She's actually from the south of England, but I think that actually makes it funnier.  |
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Post by geneweigel on Sept 10, 2008 8:40:00 GMT -5
Speaking of black holes, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) is working on the Large Hadron Collider, a new particle accelerator and atom-smasherr that some critics fear could exceed physicists estimations and spawn a black hole that could swallow Earth or create hypothetical killer particles known as strangelets that could turn the planet into a hot dead clump. I guess we’ll find out in August. Well, they ran it today and no kaboom. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080910/ap_on_sc/big_bangBut they said it'll be a year before its up to full power. I wonder what that means? |
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Post by Scott on Sept 10, 2008 8:43:20 GMT -5
They haven't collided anything yet. They've just gone online. I think next month will be the first possible black hold inducing particle collesion.
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Post by geneweigel on Sept 10, 2008 9:04:43 GMT -5
Well, lets look at it on the positive side, it could warp reality into fantasy... "WHERE AM I?""The Free City of Greyhawk.""What are you?""Why I'm a gnoll bard, of course!""NOOOOOOOO!!!" |
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Rhuvein
Magician
Beware . . Mjolnir
Posts: 228 
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Post by Rhuvein on Sept 10, 2008 14:13:45 GMT -5
They haven't collided anything yet. They've just gone online. I think next month will be the first possible black hold inducing particle collesion. I'll be watching for any signs of "resonance cascade". I've been in touch with the one free man (Gordon) and Alyx. They are prepared should a portal open to Zen.  |
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GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Post by GT on Sept 10, 2008 17:16:35 GMT -5
Well, lets look at it on the positive side, it could warp reality into fantasy... "WHERE AM I?""The Free City of Greyhawk.""What are you?""Why I'm a gnoll bard, of course!""NOOOOOOOO!!!"GT: "Frack !!! We ended up in The friggin' REALMS!!!!!" |
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GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Post by GT on Sept 10, 2008 17:18:47 GMT -5
Or; (haven't done this in a while... it's gonna feel good!) "These black holes really SUCK!!!!" HAR!!!! ^__^
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Post by grodog on Sept 10, 2008 19:37:17 GMT -5
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