Earth 'not at risk' from collider

[realityhack]

How quick is quick?

Slow enough for an "Ow, that hurts!" or merely an "oh fu..."?

Or one of these?

[TimberWolf]

Our planet is not at risk from the world's most powerful particle physics experiment, a report has concluded.

The document addresses fears that the Large Hadron Collider is so energetic, it could have unforeseen consequences.

Critics are worried that mini-black holes made at the soon-to-open facility on the French-Swiss border might threaten the Earth's very existence.

But the report, issued the European Organization for Nuclear Research, says there is "no conceivable danger".

So that's alright then...

Linky

The protons will each have an energy of 7 TeV, giving a total collision energy of 14 TeV, or 2.24304705 × 10^-6 joules (a really, really tiny amount of energy).

[NotAllThere]

Risk number: 548
Description: Unforeseen consequences mean we may blow up the world.
Probability: 15%
Impact: 100%
Countermeasures: Do not press the RED button.

Probability 0.0000000000000001%

Kind of the opposite of Pascal's Gambit.

But then, one could equally say of, for example, switching on your TV.

Description: Unforeseen consequences mean the world turns into a bowl of petunias.
Probability: 0.0000000000000001%
Impact: 100%
Countermeasures: Do not switch on your TV.

[Old Greg]

It would be a fitting end to the planet. It's probably how all planetary civilisations end.

If there was a Destroy Planet now switch, how long would it take before someone flicked it to see what happens? Good job my cat isn't in charge.

[realityhack]

The last time someone built one of these it produced not a black hole but a strange quark.

That bimbled its way down to the centre of the planet

Brilliant. My nomination for Word of the Day.

[Lucy]

Brilliant. My nomination for Word of the Day.

I'm quite fond of 'quark'.

[Bagpuss]

and mendacity

[realityhack]

and mendacity

ISIHAC definition: A large population of handymen.

[EternalOptimist]

These two atoms are walking down the street.
One says, 'it was around here that I lost my electron'
'are you sure ?'
'yeah I'm positive'

[Lucy]

and mendacity

you are the funniest person on this earth.