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Another Way the LHC Could Self-Destruct
KentuckyFC writes "Just when you thought it was safe to switch on the LHC (though it won't be for a while yet), another nightmare scenario has emerged that some critics worry could cause the particle accelerator to explode. The culprit this time is not an Earth-swallowing black hole but a 'Bose supernova' in the accelerator's superfluid helium bath. Physicists have been playing with Bose Einstein Condensate (BECs) for over 10 years now. But in 2001, one group discovered that placing them in a powerful magnetic field could cause the attractive forces between atoms to become repulsive. That caused their BEC to explode in a Bose supernova — which they called a 'Bosenova,' a name that fortunately did not catch on. This was little more than a curiosity when only a microscopic blob of cold matter was involved. But superfluid liquid helium is also BEC. And physicists have suddenly remembered that the LHC is swimming in 700,000 liters of the stuff while being zapped by some of the most powerful magnetic fields on the planet. So is the LHC a Bose supernova waiting to go off? Not according to the CERN theory division, which has published its calculations that show the LHC is safe (abstract). They also point out that no other superfluid helium handling facility has mysteriously blown itself to pieces."
Mod parent informative so he gets the good karma. Funny mods do not affect karma!
I was actually only saying that in order to not be modded off topic. I have no interest in the discussion between a bunch of heavily biased pro-science geeks (count me as one) discussing how out to lunch another bunch of doomsayers are. My real problem was with his signature as several people have already spotted.
If you feel persecuted by censorship laws banning child porn then I am ok with that. If you think that anti-child-porn laws stop you from letting your daughter run around naked or from you hugging her while she does that then I feel for you but you still need help.
Ok I'm done. Call me off topic. Call me a troll but I can't just stand by while some twat tries to re-brand child porn appreciation as freedom. You're free to fantasize all you want. When you need to do it using photos of real children you crossed the line. Its really not that hard to figure out. Lots of "political correctness" is ridiculous. Part of being an intelligent adult is being able to work out which is which.
Nick