There are those who fear that tomorrow's activation of CERN's Large Hadron Collider may generate a world-ending black hole (see: Legal Bid to Stop CERN Atom Smasher from "destroying the world").
The picture at left may lend credence to that notion. Popgive has alertly picked up on the fact that the guy on the right looks an awful lot like Half-Life protagonist Gordon Freeman. And we all know how bad that guy's luck is when it comes to scientific experiments:
A theoretical physicist working at the fictional Black Mesa Research Facility, Gordon is involved in an experiment which accidentally opens an interdimensional portal, releasing confused, hostile beings into the complex. The first Half-Life sees Gordon fighting through the facility alongside fellow employees, engaging the aliens as well as a black ops military unit sent in to contain the situation.
GP: Stressed out by the looming Armageddon? Relax with this Large Hadron Rap video... (Uh, we think we spotted Freeman in there, too...)
Comments
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
10/21/08, grab your crowbars and shotguns
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Ok.. Real testing starts in october. Mini black holes are known as straglers. To create a mini black hole u need temperature to be reletively low. (Dont hold me up to this.) I belive 0 kelvin. Also the mayan thing is Dec. 12 2012. at 12 oclock in the afternoon. It's supposed to be some kind of weird planitary alignment. The chances of the LHC creating mini black holes are 1 in 50 million. the main reason is the temperature. It would be like trying to create an ice cube in boiling water. Now if something does happen. Follow the guy holding the crowbar with a PHD in physics.
As for the Duke Nukem thing..... Let's face it. It's just an empty promise......
Where is your god now?!
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Well, they turned it on earlier today, and nothing went wrong...
Oh, and for those of you going on the "2012" thing... it may interest you to know that there's no proof that the Maya themselves ever belived that the world would end in 2012. In fact, odds are they may have celebrated the occasion (much like how Times Square was packed on New Year's Eve in spite of the perceived Y2K threat).
On top of that, there are even ancient Mayan inscriptions showing dates into the future well beyond THAT (I think somewhere in the range of the 4000's A.D.). Now, if the Maya honestly thought that the world would end in 2012, then why would they bother to show dates for things happening millenia into the future beyond that?
The big occasion for which the Maya marked off their calendars? Some kind of alignment between Earth and the center of the galaxy during the winter solstice (the exact details currently escape me). This happens every 25,800 years... meaning that in the past 4.5 billion years of this planet's existence, this event has happened more than 150,000 times! And we human beings were already walking the Earth the last five or six times it happened!
I've even consulted friends in scientific fields if anything catastrophic has happened in 26,000-year cycles, and they got nothing: No meteorite impacts, no polar reversals, no mass extinctions... bottom line: Don't sweat it in regards to 2012.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Really? Well now Im happy that i am able to lose my virginity without getting in trouble. Ill be 18 in 2013.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
But how large is his hadron?
(I'm so very, very sorry.)
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
The chances of it going wrong are 10^-25. That means there's a better chance of every court suddenly reversing it's ruling on violent video games and Jack Thompson getting off scott free without as much as a slap on the wrist from the Florida Bar.
---Oh sure, its fine when a monkey does it. But when I throw barrels at an Italian plumber, they call it a hate crime! - Stephen Colbert
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Its Wednesday. Am I dead? I dont think so. So I wasted my money on crowbars and shotguns!
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Oh shit...I never played Half Life...whatever.
-Remember kids, personal responsibility is for losers! For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007) Just to name a few...
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I hate to stand in the way of science but we are making a misstake here...
Lets get the facts cleared, first off duke nukem forever once again reemerged from years of hiding and is said to be well on their way. Time and time again this has happened before, but this time it's not only backed up by a gametrailer but a potencial doomsday device that is said to end the world four years after it's activated. To end the world year 2012.
Let's not forget the marking of the beast (verichip), and the coming of the antichrist (obama ain't fooling no one). Maybe now is the time were 90 percent of the world is wrong and only muslims are right!? Not to mention that I somehow got an A in gymnastics so it's obviously snowing in hell.
So gg, and rematch? (seriusly though i hope they get something usefull out of this)
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Y'know i think i remember seeing Jon Stewart doing a stand up act about this or something similar a few years back; it was something about trying to recreate the big bang or something... it was something like...
"The last words of mankind won't be anything like 'oh my god what have we done', it will be 'Eureka it worked!'"
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH, I knew this was going to happen!!! What next to happen, Duke Nukem Forever is declared "DONE" on the same day?
Hmmm, I wonder if someone has a Y2K bunker for sale on the cheap, if it is well stocked and if the food supplies haven't expeired....
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
If this does create a black hole it wont happen until 2012. Or 2075. Nostradamus's predictions went that far.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Well actually, i think the article says it would take the mini black holes 4 years to destroy the earth, which would be 2012... funny little coincidence that...
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Enough talking! Just activate the damn thing already!
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Follow Freeman!
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I don't understand. A black hole is formed when a star dies (most often going supernova, though) and the external pressures overcome its gravity, compressing it ever smaller and denser until it reaches critical mass in which the star implodes into a singularity which creates a hole in space. That's the basic overview.
A collision of subatomic particles will probably, if the worse was to happen, cause some kind of nuclear reaction.
Please, if I am wrong, correct me. I am far from knowledgable. I've just going off what little I know.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
The LHC will send lead ions to near light speeds, and then collide them. This collision will convert the energy of the ions (IE: velocity of the ions) into matter, by the equation E=MC^2. This energy to matter conversion will create every particle that was in existence during the Big Bang. That is what the LCH does.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Then how does that create mini black holes? Speaking of normal black holes, it is compression of matter into a point where, how to put it...It's like, basically, putting so much pressure on the star, externally and wholly, that there's no place for the matter to basically leak to. It's like if you put water in an inescapable sphere, and somehow, this sphere compresses. Nor normally, if it was a machine, it'd break down because eventually, it could compress said water any further and would break. That's not what happens, though, in space. It gets compressed to what's known as "critical mass" which is the mass at which it creates an event horizon; in other words, it is crushed out of existence, leaving a hole in space.
So the question is, how does a mini black hole form, considering it cannot be from a star, and said to be only during the beginning of the universe. Does anyone know the specifics of that, that is, how the LHC is going to make mini black holes?
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I'm sorry but I've never heard your usage of critical mass in relation to black holes. I've only heard it in reference tot he minimum mass a star must be for it to become a blackhole, and that has to be the worst description ever.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
From what I understand, what you said is what's going to happen, merely on a micro scale.
The Micro-black holes would then be evaporated immediately by Hawking-Radiation. The problem there is Hawking-Radiation is controversial and there is, in fact, quite a bit of evidence against it.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Sorry, that was my comment ^ Man, I have got to remember to add my name.
Anyhow, a thought just occurred to me. On what scale has Hawking-Radiation been based on? Because at microuniverse scales, is it not possible that things work differently at such a tiny level? I mean, I read that such tiny black holes were only around at the start of the universe, hence, could Hawking-Radiation be based on your average black hole?
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Well from what I understand is that miniature are beyond micro. If I remember right, they are smaller than subatomic particles themselves.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
i love how some idiots are saying "the experiment could destroy the universe" because of the black holes. really? know they nothing of black holes occuring in nature, such as the SUPERMASSIVE ones at the center of every galaxy? and anyway, its not a possibility, its actually kinda expected to happen (miniature black holes being created and evaporation). theyre not saying it WILL happen, but it could, and they wouldnt be suprised.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
before they even built it they figured out that any blackholes that where formed would existe for a millonth of a second and be tiny. also in the universe it takes a hugh star dying and then colapsing in on its self to create a black hole. how big a star you ask? well imagine our sun but about a hundred fucking times bigger thats how big.
so in conclusion this hole thing is just balls
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Okay, now factor in that the scientists are setting out to recreate the first millionth of a second after the universe was created by the theoretical Big Bang. It would be awesome if we created a universe inside of a universe. It's like a hot pocket in a hot pocket.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
i think i am going to go buy a crowbar now, you never know if we might be beating of head crabs soon.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
"They're waiting for you Gordon....in the test chamber."
I'm curious to know how this thing goes when they turn it on. I wonder if it will be a triumph? I bet they're more than willing to make the note "HUGE SUCCESS" after the machine doesn't tear our universe apart. Then again, if it does destroy us, the naysayers will definitely find it hard to overstate their satisfaction. Ah, CERN. They really do what they must. Why? Because they can!
I'm done :p
@Anonymous:
"What tea bagging and railguns?" You sir, are hilarious.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
You know what this means:
Step 1: experiment = the end of the world.
step 2:
step 3: gravity gun.
Bring in Shannyn Sossamon with a giant pet robot and I am ready to don any strange hazmat suit and have a middle aged security guard hand me a crowbar so I can save the world. Just a quick question, which button do I press to quick save?
To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful. Edward R. Murrow
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I'd better get out my shotgun and hazmat suit and prepare to crawl through a lot of vents, then
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
What tea bagging and railguns?
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I was never into Half Life, call me when a Quake III scenario is likely.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I doubt anyone would pick you for a intergalactic death match tourney.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Theyre only testing it tomorrow, accelerating particles round it, they dont actually do any collision till october (the actually tests that could do something)
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Oh yeah, the end of the human race. Right.
Remember that one time when everybody shat their pants because two missing digits from our overpowered computers were going to bring down society and reason in mankind overnight?
A bunch of nerdy scientist toying with beams of light through a long tube doesn't sound too valid as a doomsday catastrophe.
Besides, nobody quoted interpretations of Nostradamus yet. I say nothing will happen. If I'm wrong you're all allowed to step on my left nut - AT THE SAME TIME.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Yeah, a bunch of subatomic particles being split doesn't sound very explosive either.
What a brilliant statement.
Also, it's not 'beams of light'. I'm not saying we're all going to die, but your comment was full of ignorance.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
You're such an arrogant cunt
.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Hehe, reminds me of a quote from Invader Zim.
"If it works, we'll never have to worry about energy again! If it doesn't, it'll send out a wave of DOOM that will destroy all life on the planet!"
Note: I don't have a clue what this thing does. I just like that quote. :)
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
I haven't been keeping up with this. I'm tempted to take off work tomorrow and simply relax. If the world is going to end, I want to greet it with a full meal and a nap, rather than being cramped inside a cubicle.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Wouldn't you rather get wasted/laid/Halo or GTA?
That's my death agenda
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
According the people trying to stop it, worst case scenario is the world ends in 4 years, so he'll have plenty of time for all that.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Irresponsible science IMO. If it's never been done and many experts are saying it could devestate the planet why do it?
I hope heaven has a bad ass LAN set up.
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
This experiment has a similar probability of creating a black hole as you walking into a room and all the oxygen molecules being in one half of it.
And when was the last time that happened?
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Around here, we call that Thursday afternoon.
---
The Mammon Industry
Fangamer
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
There was also a chance when they tested the atom bomb they could set off a chain reaction and destroy the planet. They did it anyway. There's even less of a chance of this going wrong.
---Oh sure, its fine when a monkey does it. But when I throw barrels at an Italian plumber, they call it a hate crime! - Stephen Colbert
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Anyone else find it ironic that if it does go wrong it won't suck up the Earth until 2012?
Seriously though, they say that this stuff happens in nature. But doesn't it happen up in the atmosphere? Are there any documented cases of it happening on the planet itself?
---Oh sure, its fine when a monkey does it. But when I throw barrels at an Italian plumber, they call it a hate crime! - Stephen Colbert
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
Before I was a bit worried about this... What you just said has me rather frightened now...
Re: End of the World? Half-Life's Gordon Freeman Spotted at
As long as it happens after the olympics. I'd be very upset if I had my tax increased for nothing.