[H-GEN] RepRapping in Brisbane!

[Brendon Higgins]

Hi,

On 31/03/2008, at 3:29 AM, Robert Brockway wrote:
> Of course CERN are planning to make a micro-blackhole in Switzerland.
> While I don't think this is going to be particularly dangerous I do
> think there should have been more public discussion.

That'd be great, and extremely useful, if the public had the necessary 
knowledge (read: years of study) and experience to understand the subject and 
form an informed opinion.

Unfortunately, this isn't the case. What you end up with in reality is a lot 
of misunderstandings and ill-informed reactionary nonsense. Not from 
everyone, sure, and it'd certainly be cool if this sort of stuff really did 
get some more mainstream exposure, but let's not kid ourselves about the 
consequences.

Arjen Lentz wrote (Mon, 31 Mar 2008):
> Not sure I like the micro-blackhole either... conceptually yes, made
> on planet earth no.

Oh, feh. The same theoretical models that predict the creation of a 
micro-blackhole (if the energies used were even high enough) also predict the 
Hawking radiation that would see if evaporate almost instantaneously.

http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/03/29/no-the-lhc-wont-destroy-the-earth/

Scientists seldom pursue things they think have a genuine (or, even remote) 
chance of seriously messing up their day in the way that creating a 
sucking-great blackhole would.

Of course, this isn't on topic anymore, but... there you go.

Peace,
Brendon