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The Radio 3 Boards > General Chat > The Coffee Bar > The Science Lab
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Author Topic: The Science Lab  (Read 806 times)
IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #30 on: 22:22:41, 10-09-2008 »
Quote from: richard barrett on 17:35:22, 10-09-2008
The black hole thing is just a publicity stunt of course. The funding of CERN (which is very expensive) depends to some extent on keeping it and its work visible to a wider public,

Further to that point, the news has just featured a collection of sound-bites from physicists telling us what the LHC research might lead to in practical terms. Apparently, this multi-billion-dollar project is worth every penny because it will allow us to:

 - Deal safely with radioactive waste
 - Cure cancer
 - Understand bird flu (  Huh )

In other words, "we're desperate for funding and will say anything"  Cheesy

"The LHC will allow England to win the next world cup!"
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increpatio
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« Reply #31 on: 22:58:48, 10-09-2008 »
Quote from: IgnorantRockFan on 22:22:41, 10-09-2008
- Deal safely with radioactive waste
 - Cure cancer
 - Understand bird flu (  Huh )
That's the problem with fundamental research: it just might lead to all sorts of things!
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Kittybriton
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« Reply #32 on: 23:54:50, 10-09-2008 »
Quote from: IgnorantRockFan on 22:22:41, 10-09-2008
Quote from: richard barrett on 17:35:22, 10-09-2008
The black hole thing is just a publicity stunt of course. The funding of CERN (which is very expensive) depends to some extent on keeping it and its work visible to a wider public,

Further to that point, the news has just featured a collection of sound-bites from physicists telling us what the LHC research might lead to in practical terms. Apparently, this multi-billion-dollar project is worth every penny because it will allow us to:

 - Deal safely with radioactive waste
 - Cure cancer
 - Understand bird flu (  Huh )

In other words, "we're desperate for funding and will say anything"  Cheesy

"The LHC will allow England to win the next world cup!"
The result of the game is still being debated. The Brazilians insist that the English team broke the rules by bringing on the LHC in the last five minutes. At the same time (although, subjectively five seconds in the past, relative to the rest of the players) the referee is still looking for the Brazilian goalposts.
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richard barrett
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« Reply #33 on: 23:56:27, 10-09-2008 »
Quote from: Kittybriton on 23:54:50, 10-09-2008
The result of the game is still being debated. The Brazilians insist that the English team broke the rules by bringing on the LHC in the last five minutes. At the same time (although, subjectively five seconds in the past, relative to the rest of the players) the referee is still looking for the Brazilian goalposts.

i don't think you take particle physics seriously enough, Kitty.




 Cool
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...trj...
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« Reply #34 on: 10:00:45, 11-09-2008 »
I heard yesterday that there is a connection between previous work with particle accelerators and the development of radiotherapy as a cancer treatment. Is that (broadly) correct?
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richard barrett
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« Reply #35 on: 10:13:04, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: ...trj... on 10:00:45, 11-09-2008
I heard yesterday that there is a connection between previous work with particle accelerators and the development of radiotherapy as a cancer treatment. Is that (broadly) correct?

I would imagine so. But of course that's a spin-off (ahem) rather than a research objective. What I'd say is that it would be very surprising if experimental research into fundamental physics didn't have all kinds of unforeseeable effects on very many other areas. This has historically always been the case. Having said that, the energies required to do such research these days are so high that going further than LHC is likely to be prohibitively expensive, especially if it doesn't come up with anything really, er, earth-shattering. But we won't know that for some time - even when the experiments are carried out, the amount of data collected will be so massive that it will take months if not years to make any sense of it at all.
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...trj...
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« Reply #36 on: 10:18:46, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: richard barrett on 10:13:04, 11-09-2008
I would imagine so. But of course that's a spin-off (ahem) rather than a research objective.

Oh, of course - I was just amused by the 'cancer specialist' on last night's news pontificating that the LHC was an enormous waste of money that wasn't going to produce anything useful.
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Ruby2
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« Reply #37 on: 10:26:30, 11-09-2008 »
I'm sure they could have saved some money by just using the Circle line instead of building something about the same size.  Everyone would have to duck from time to time but they could always make an announcement:

"Mind the protons please."

 Grin
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richard barrett
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« Reply #38 on: 10:32:50, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: Ruby2 on 10:26:30, 11-09-2008
"Mind the protons please."

Brilliant!
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martle
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« Reply #39 on: 11:23:23, 11-09-2008 »
 Cheesy Cheesy
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #40 on: 11:44:47, 11-09-2008 »
 Grin Ace!
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George Garnett
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« Reply #41 on: 13:14:53, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: richard barrett on 10:13:04, 11-09-2008
Having said that, the energies required to do such research these days are so high that going further than LHC is likely to be prohibitively expensive, especially if it doesn't come up with anything really, er, earth-shattering.

That's what they said last time Cheesy. I'm still amazed the LHC happened at all (the UK very nearly pulled the plug on it, as it were, after the US gave up on their Superconducting Supercollider in 1990-something). It was touch and go. The rest of the scientific community certainly had 'mixed' feelings about it.

There is due to be an upgrade in 2012, which the UK is provisionally in for, to beef it up and turn it into the Super Large Hadron Collider. And, plans and pipedreams only so far, for a Very Large Hadron Collider eventually to replace that.     

Don'cha just love the names? Goodness knows what the one after that will be called. Grin
« Last Edit: 22:25:47, 11-09-2008 by George Garnett » Logged
richard barrett
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« Reply #42 on: 13:20:17, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: George Garnett on 13:14:53, 11-09-2008
That's what they said last time Cheesy

True. My feeling is that, while there's something deeply impressive about these projects, we are going to have to find another way of doing physics at some point. Being able to catalogue the rest masses of all the particles that seem to exist and put them in symmetrical interrelationships may not be the ultimate answer to our deepest questions about reality that some physicists would have us believe. Still it's better than spending the money on killing people, or subsidising composers.
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Baz
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« Reply #43 on: 13:34:54, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: Baz on 08:56:35, 10-09-2008
Quote from: martle on 08:51:18, 10-09-2008
It's 8.50am. The Big Bang should have Banged by now. Are we all dead yet?

Rumour has it that already this bizarre experiment has created a Black Hole into which - over the next few hours - we shall all be slowly and inexorably sucked into a singularity that will bring about our total annihilation.

What we ask has happened to Syd?  Sad

Well there we are! Rumours are only rumours - in this case not entirely correct. While it cannot be denied that this MB has already shown an indication that the odd contributor may be on his way to oblivion, we have to report the successful reappearance of Mr Grew! That, at least, is something over which some of us should rejoice.

Baz

P.S. If a Black Hole is literally "nothing", then what IS it?

P.P.S. One thing that has disappeared into oblivion is the "Reply" button on this MB! Does anybody know where it has slinked off to?
« Last Edit: 13:37:37, 11-09-2008 by Baz » Logged
richard barrett
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« Reply #44 on: 13:37:17, 11-09-2008 »
Quote from: Baz on 13:34:54, 11-09-2008
P.S. If a Black Hole is literally "nothing", then what IS it?

Come and see for yourself.
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