Investigating Artificial Black Holes

Robber Baron writes "I remember years ago watching a cartoon in which an inventor had managed to create 'portable holes.' Now along those lines, according to this story in the Christian Science Monitor, scientists are on the threshhold of developing the 'do-it-yourself black hole' (Well, no, it's not quite do-it yourself as you need a pretty large collider to pull it off.) They're hoping to use the new Large Hadron Collider at the European Center for Nuclear Research to create many tiny black holes and observe the Hawking Effect as they dissipate. Keep your shotgun handy though, as they are more than likely going to open up a portal into another dimension and all sorts of nasties are going to come pouring out."

Comments

Re:we're all gonna die!

[JDWTopGuy]

Yeah, like slashdotters aren't paranoid enough.

That reminds me, where's my tinfoil hat?

Oh dear.

[E_elven]

Yet another example of our dear scientists considering the 'can I' instead of 'should I'.

Re:Is this dangerous?

[Billly Gates]

"If all goes right the holes we could create with our limited technology couldn't last long enough to cause any problems. This of course is all just theory, if he's wrong there will be hell to pay"

Yes, If all goes right.....

This is freaking me out.

Good Place For It

[Pooua]

They're hoping to use the new Large Hadron Collider at the European Center for Nuclear Research

That's a great idea! Europe already is one giant black hole!

Re:Is this dangerous?

[LiquidCoooled]

Your damn right,
This is freaking me out about as much as the "Falling to Earth's Core in a Big Blob of Iron" story.

Scientists continue to play god and come up with wilder and wilder schemes where we are the test subjects :(

I see a big white thing in the fog.

[twitter]

In reality, there is no risk posed by creating artificial black holes

Oh, and this ship will not sink.

There are probably a few tiny black holes forming and dying far above you right now.

So what signature are we expecting? If you don't know, you won't see it. Do we see it now from way up there? Wny not?

Re:Why are electrons not black holes

[jgardn]

IAAP - I am a Physicist

Easy: Electrons are not black holes.

What is a black hole? It is a collection of matter so dense that light and any other form of radiation cannot escape it.

For the record: Electrons do have a "physical size". It is just very, very, very small.

Now, go back to your algebra books. Read the algebra equations. See them dance and play. Then you move into Trigonometry, where you realize that there is something deep, very deep, here but you cannot put your finger on it. When you move up to calculus, then you can start learning "real physics". Conquer the field of calculus, understand Newtonian mechanics in all its beautiful glory, then you move into Thermodynamics, Quantum Mechanics, and Electromagnetism. Master that, then you can start to consider this mysterious "electron". But you will not understand it, just like no physicist understands it today. If you are able to understand it, then I hope you get a Nobel prize for it. But unless you gain the same learning that we have already achieved, you have no hope of ever understanding it.

Right now, you should be contemplating the parobola of the path of a mass as it moves through two dimensions under the effects of gravity. Your poor mind is unable to contemplate anything more magnificent yet.