This is really exciting, in eleven days time the Large Hadron Collider at CERN will attempt to recreate the physics that followed at or extremely close to the Big Bang.
Scientists are hoping to discover the theoretical Higgs-Boson which has been nicknamed by over zealous scientific journalists as the "God Partial" This is because it will, if the theory pans out, help to bridge the gap in understanding between the world quantum physics and that of general relativity.
The BBC has been getting itself in a little media hype rush in covering the event, but still has some good reading material on the matter here. I also found a nice little article that helps to understand the subatomic world here. Unfortunately you can't watch the video unless you join up.
We were having a discussion in the Philosilly department recently about the nature of matter Interesting Thoughts to Share I think this experiment will only add to the debate. From what little I understand The Higgs-Boson and the Higgs-Boson Field is postulated to be the reason subatomic particles achieve mass.
Just a side note.
If the nucleus at the center of an atom was the size of a pea, then the relative size of that atom with its electrons spinning around the nucleus would be about a mile in diameter. As an electron has no mass the atom would be actually something like 98% nothing, nothing
I've been thinking a lot recently about this nothingness and I hope to write about it later when I get a little more time online.
Anyway, as it's my birthday I'm going to my local computer supplier to pick out some components for a new build. I'm going dual core but still can't decide whether to go Intel or AMD, but that's a whole nuther story.
Those who look for monsters should look to it that
they do not become monsters. For when you gaze
long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
So is it theoretically possible that this thing will create a stable black hole that will end the world as we know it? I'm thinking that the answer is no.
From: there...no..there..... Insane since: May 2001
posted 08-29-2008 22:12
one of the scientists was just on NPR. A caller asked what kind of measures were being taken "just in case" something went crazy. The scientist just said that there was no reason to think that anything would go wrong.
Can't wait to see what happens with that.
They said that it was going to "possibly" create a black hole. However it is going to simulate the effect that occurs when particles from space hit the earths atmosphere. It will just allow them to monitor it more closely. Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens.
Thanks for the birthday greets SleepingWolf and C:\
I've been perusing Higgs-Bozon related material on the net so I thought I'd post up some more links that I found interesting, or as is the case in this one, looks like I'll find interesting. The Six Million Dollar Experiment Alice
quote: SleepingWolf said:
Intel versus AMD? Why not start by deciding on a motherboard..and then take it from there?
I think I've been viewing it from the processor angle because I'm not as clued up on Motherboards as I like to think I am with processors. Any suggestions.
quote: Arthurio said:
So is it theoretically possible that this thing will create a stable black hole that will end the world as we know it?
Perhaps if it does we wont even be aware of the change, subtle or otherwise as it may alter the timeline as well.
Those who look for monsters should look to it that
they do not become monsters. For when you gaze
long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
Not really.
I think you have to factor in what you'll do with the box. Photoshop versus Gaming versus General Purpose.
Would you consider embedded linux? This feature has been discussed here, you might want to start with Asus and look at their offerings. Then you can decide on AMD or Intel.
I put together a rig from scratch earlier this year and enjoyed the exercise - from research right through to the assembly, learned a helluva a lot, much of it thru troubleshooting. If I was doing this today, I would certainly assess using the embedded linux boards.
So is it theoretically possible that this thing will create a stable black hole that will end the world as we know it? I'm thinking that the answer is no.
It's interesting that man and technology have evolved to this point - a point where we might destroy the planet and its neighborhood in one fell swoop. Sure is more exciting than the current *gradual* process of depleting all non-renewable resources and wiping out each and every species outside our genus.
On the other side of the coin, we are still very much in the dark ages in other scientific realms. Medicine for example - we still employ barbaric techniques to fight cancer and we can't even manage seemingly trivial ailments common colds and backaches. Very sad, perhaps humbling, and it certainly speaks volumes as to where we spend our money, where we apply our resources. Just imagine if the funding that went to fight needless wars had gone towards practical scientific research.
quote: Tao said:
As an electron has no mass the atom would be actually something like 98% nothing, nothing
Actually electrons do have mass: .511 MeV (roughly 9.10938188 × 10^-31 kilograms, if you like kilos better ).
For comparison, a proton has a mass of 938.272 MeV and a neutron is 939.566 MeV. Both approximately 2000x larger then an electron.
However, an atoms structure is still almost entirely empty space (I think much greater than 99%).
http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~dfehling/particle.gif (super-huge image... kinda hard to read, you just have to scroll around the page but it has a good visual representation of the different particles (as per the Standard Model) and their details and the structure of protons, neutrons, etc, but it doesn't include the Higgs)
--
Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.
According to my (somewhat lacking) highschool physics a hydrogen atom is considered to have a diameter of about 100000 times the diameter of it's core (a proton) quick calculation shows that it's about 99,9999999999999995% nothingness if you assume the electron to be static, in reality the electron is flying around everywhere so you wouldn't find a quiet place to sit.
Actually electrons do have mass: .511 MeV (roughly 9.10938188 × 10^-31 kilograms, if you like kilos better ).
For comparison, a proton has a mass of 938.272 MeV and a neutron is 939.566 MeV. Both approximately 2000x larger then an electron.
However, an atoms structure is still almost entirely empty space (I think much greater than 99%).
Thanks for the clarification, I thought the zero mass concept I picked up was a little "hicky" but there again, there is so much exotic information out there I can see how it happened.
So if atoms are 99.[loads of 9s]% "space" that seems to infer that we are, in a similar amount "spacey"?
That appeals to me oddly
Here's another aspect I'm enquiring after. I seem to recall that "thought" is an electro-chemical phenomenon, or is it a biochemical reaction? Perhaps it is actually a combination al all of the above.
An electrical signal in the cell causes various synapses to give off chemical signals, which are then in turn chemically received by another synapse, which then relays the signal in an electrical form.
I realise that that description may be rather crude but I think it covers all the bases.
Those who look for monsters should look to it that
they do not become monsters. For when you gaze
long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
From: The Happy Hunting Grounds... Insane since: Mar 2001
posted 09-23-2008 09:58
Thought itself is still being researched scientifically, because we do not completely understand the process. It is a bio-chemical-electrical process (nerves connect or dis-connect) to each other according to the chemicals that they are influenced by.
One can actually measure this flow, and there has been lots of modern research and break-throughs into this process.
Still a long way to go, however, to fully understanding thought.
WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles
Gotta love howstuffworks.com ... http://www.howstuffworks.com/brain.htm I'd say we do actually understand quite a lot about thought and the brain. Not everything of course but a lot. Things we don't yet understand that well are how to interface the brain and how to analyze the data that we have.
From: The Happy Hunting Grounds... Insane since: Mar 2001
posted 09-23-2008 16:04
We also do not know exactly at what level Thought (consciousness) actually affects Physics. That it does at the Quantum level is a known, but it is not really known (the exact process) how this occurs, and it is not known if there is a deeper level here (for example, if thoughts or conciousness is directly connected to strings, etc).
I once read a fantastic article that speculated on things like this - not really scientific, but it was fascinating.
WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles
That's just egoistic mumbo jumbo, hoping or believing that the brain is somehow beyond regular physics.
quote:We also do not know exactly at what level Thought (consciousness) actually affects Physics.
Untrue, biochemical and electrical 'level', it's a well established, sound theory that has been tested and proven. No need to invent stuff here. 'Consciousness' is just a big word for an incredibly complex system that is based on relatively simple principles.
quote:That it does at the Quantum level is a known
Untrue as well. It's a minority opinion not a sound, tested, proven etc theory. I can't call myself an expert but as far as I know there is no phenomena in brain that needs to be explained by quantum physics
IMO the idea that because we can think and feel, the system behind this has to be somehow 'special' is just egoistic bs that is the root of all religion and thus evil.
In science, the simplest theory that works is the best.
Sorry, I hope I didn't offend you but I feel very strongly about those things. If you think you're right, show me the evidence.
posted 08-29-2008 16:03
Interesting Thoughts to Share
I'm thinking that the answer is no.
).
but it has a good visual representation of the different particles (as per the Standard Model) and their details and the structure of protons, neutrons, etc, but it doesn't include the Higgs)