You know this whole Large Hadron Collider is a sad commentary on society

[TZ]

The amazing science has taken a back seat to OMG. TEH BLACK HOLEZ..ITS TEH END!!11!!
Seriously--all the scientists are madmen who are a danger to all meme seems alive and well. Now I well know that a lot of people were joking but that the whole paranoia fears got such media play is really sad, IMO. There seemed to be an awful lot of people who took it seriously enough to worry about it.
Was it covered in this ludicrous way in other countries?

[mr blur]

1. Not really over here

A bit of good old British sneering at those who thought we were all gonna DIE!!

[Orrex]

3. I hear that you lot are more worried about Hadrian's Collider

You know, that thing that's supposed to smash into that old, crumbling wall of yours.

[mr blur]

4. Hey, I was born near Hadian's Wall!

It's excellent for keeping the Woos out which, I believe, was its purpose.

[salvorhardin]

2. You know, Brian Cox and some of the scientists at CERN have gotten death threats?

Via Brian Cox's wife Gia Milinovich's blog:

Anyone following the CERN switch-on in the media may have seen the article in the Telegraph this week about how some physicists have been getting death threats. Brian was quoted as saying, “Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a twat.”

As of this writing, teh interwebs is alight with conversations about his quote and - again as of this writing- it’s the fourth most popular Digg. Brian’s been getting requests for interviews from all over the planet.

There are about three people behind these scares. They have no knowledge, but very loud voices. Anyone who has been following blog posts about CERN and the LHC will have seen JTankers pop up everywhere spewing shite. He always refers to the main centre of this crap, the LHC Concerns site.
http://www.giagia.co.uk/2008/09/06/cern-scientists-receive-death-threats

[Orrex]

11. Brian Cox got death threats for his tepid portrayal of Hannibal Lecter

Still, he's proven himself a fine actor since then.


Wait--what are we talking about here?

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. This is Brian Cox, keyboard player in 90s pop group D:REAM

whose single "Things Can Only Get Better" was used by Labour as their theme tune for the 1997 election (yeah, we do tend to wince and think ironic thoughts when we hear it now).

No, seriously.

"Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a twat" should indeed be said in a good Lancashire accent, for maximum effect (a bit like Noel or Liam Gallagher, if that helps - or Daphne in 'Frasier' - what she was trying to sound like ,anyway).

[WoodrowFan]

13. How about as Dr Who?

How about in the voice of the 9th Doctor??

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Yeah, though I think Eccleston dialed it down a bit for Doctor Who

This is a bit more typical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmYNwvxzSb0 (a modernised Othello story)

If you've ever heard David Tennant speak in his real voice, you'll know he's put on a completely different one for Dr. Who - his real voice is quite a strong Scottish accent.

[salvorhardin]

18. Man, I miss Eccleston as Doctor Who!

Tennant just gets on my nerves.

[WoodrowFan]

20. I like them both

I like them both, they're among my favorite Drs. (McCoy is my fav, followed by Tom Baker among the "originals.")

I teared up a bit when Sarah Jane ran into the Tardis in the school in "School Reunion." I have that scene saved in Youtube, along with Captain Jack's "hHo looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'this could be more sonic'?"

[realisticphish]

21. i like them both

eccleston was great; i really wish he had stayed past one season. but tennant brings his own something to the role. I do think that RTD went out of his way to give Tennant stupid lines, in an attempt to be "funny." We'll see now that RTD is gone

[salvorhardin]

24. True, RTD had way too big a hand in the past couple of seasons

I have high hopes for what Moffat can bring.

[realisticphish]

28. and

as much as i like rose and the daleks, its time to move on from both of them. A new sidekick, a new enemy, and i think the show will be just fine

[Orrex]

22. i like them... um...

What are we talking about again?

[salvorhardin]

17. What is it with English rock musicians and physics anyway?

The keyboardist for D:REAM becomes an experimental physicist, Brian May (lead keyboardist for Queen) becomes an astrophysicist. What next? Is one of the Spice Girls going to announce she's come up with a workable Grand Unification Theory?

[Orrex]

23. Zigazig Ah! Is the key to the universe

QED and QED.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Not in general...

but the local paper had a headline: BOFFINS 'WON'T DESTROY WORLD'

Not a general theme, however.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Unfortunately, apparent;ly it has been whipped up in the 'News of the World'..

probably our worst tabloid (generally known here as 'News of the Screws') and at least one person I know got in a major panic from that.

[Orrex]

15. Well, Brian May *is* an actual astrophysicist, after all

Wait--are we still talking about music? I'm so confused!

[YankeyMCC]

6. It also is an example of a shift of priorities

of the US in general, instead of funding this type of project - the supercollider that was planned back in the 90's - and remaining a leader in this fascinating and important science we (the US) give up and let others take the lead (thankfully).

[Orrex]

16. Delete -- wrong place!

[moggie]

8. The Mayans predicted it, you know

At least, that's what I heard in the science forum. :banghead:

Keep checking this site:

http://www.hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/

and watch out for headcrabs.

[semillama]

9. 30 other times the world failed to end

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4717864.ece

my favorite:

Dec 25, 1814: In Devon, a self-styled prophet named Joanna Southcott averred that she was the expectant mother of a new Christ-child to which she would give birth on Christmas Day 1814. That she was a virgin and well over 60 did not appear to weaken her faith that this would come to pass. She was at least correct that something momentous would occur on the fateful date: she died. Despite this disappointment, a large cult continued to believe in Southcott and, as late as 1927, a sealed box said to contain an important message left by Joanna was opened in the presence of the Bishop of Grantham. It contained a lottery ticket.

[realisticphish]

19. oh man

if i ever become a cult leader, i will seal a message in a safe to be opened exactly 25 years to the second after my death.

It will contain a piece of paper that says "ha ha, owned"

[moggie]

10. Sounds like it may have been worse in India

BHOPAL, India - A teenage girl in central India killed herself on Wednesday after being traumatized by media reports that a "Big Bang" experiment in Europe could bring about the end of the world, her father said.

The 16-year old girl from the state of Madhya Pradesh drank pesticide and was rushed to the hospital but later died, police said.

Her father, identified on local television as Biharilal, said that his daughter, Chayya, killed herself after watching doomsday predictions made on Indian news programs.

...

In east India, thousands of people rushed to temples to pray and fast while others savored their favorite foods in anticipation of the world's end.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26641652/

Very sad. But I bet those prayers and fasts will work!

[Orrex]

25. Fasts? The Hadron Collider is already super-fast!

If the world could be ended so easily, then I say good riddance.

[semillama]

26. Don't you want a vote on that? n/t

[TZ]

27. !

because nothing like this has ever ever happened in the history of the universe....:rofl:

[JitterbugPerfume]

29. nice for YOU guys to say

but just in case I'm going to get saved so I can be raptured with Sarah!:crazy:

[PVnRT]

30. I DEMAND A VOTE

You see, I'm an amateur fan of physics, but I'm pretty sure my opinion matters here.

We need more democracy! Just yesterday, I consulted an accountant about my diabetes. Why shouldn't he have a say in this?

[TZ]

31. best thread in science forum EVAH.

And once again, strong fucking work by our old friend R_A:D

[moggie]

32. Dammit, you made me look

(And post). The Science forum can be almost as depressing as Health. Yeah, someone who doesn't understand simple arithmetic getting a vote on whether to block particle physics research: that makes sense.

Speaking of health, enjoy:

http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/matthias-rath-pulls-out-forced-to-pay-the-guardians-costs-i-think-this-means-i-win/

[LeftishBrit]

34. Thanks for that article...

Ben Goldacre is great.

And DON'T get me on the subject of the Dore treatment for dyslexia; a total racket and based on very faulty logic. Dyslexics are more likely than others to have balance difficulties - probably just because the same factors increase the risk of different neurological problems, so they sometimes go together - so you can cure dyslexia by teaching kids to balance! I remember trying to persuade a neighbour not to waste her money on getting this treatment for a dyslexic son who has NO balance or other co-ordination difficulties, and indeed may be going professionally into sport. I haven't been directly involved in the academic controversy, but colleagues have, and yes, it's just as Goldacre describes.

[Random_Australian]

33. Thankyou, thankyou. But really, an argument between someone who knows

what they are talking about and someone who doesn't could really only go one way.

And it was fun to go "Oooooh! People who act like this usually have these buttons! Iiiiiiit's pressing time!" *presspresspresspresspress*


:)

I innocent.

[TZ]

36. hehe.

Pressing buttons is fun! Say cheese! (oh if you aren't familiar with the American comedian Bill Engval's "Here's your Sign" routine, try to find it on youtube, its particularly relevant to a certain poster....

[lizerdbits]

35. An appropriate photo

Should be useful for health scare lounge too.

[WoodrowFan]

37. Piled Higher and Deeper at Cern

The cartoonist that does Piled Higher and Deeper (a Ph.D. himself) visted Cern and did a series of 5 strips on it. Thought you all would enjoy..

Here is a link to the first one.

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1066

[moggie]

38. OMG

Atlas generates 1 million gigabytes of data per second??