Physicists closing in on 'God particle'

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

Nope. He got the Peace Prize. Pretty much like Miss Congeniality.

This. Social Science /= Real science, no matter how much they like to say they are actual scientists.

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

sorry dude; anyone asking for research grant continuation... promising results the next year... is to be suspected.

Anyone - not in a cult - can see this.

It's all right man.

I get a lot of students who argue the money spent on the LHC, and although it hasn't paid off yet, history makes a pretty strong argument when it comes to investing money into developing technology.

[dwjz06]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

I love this sort of stuff with every part of my body.

Even my pee-pee.

Every. Part.

Scary man. I work around guys like you

[Montehall]

I imagine the LHC as the "Hold my beer and watch this" of physics

[Rob]

Originally Posted by Entropy

I get a lot of students who argue the money spent on the LHC, and although it hasn't paid off yet, history makes a pretty strong argument when it comes to investing money into developing technology.

I am actually scared of what they may find out "by accident" ...they could create a pretty damn big hole with that thing if something went awry.

[VatorMan]

We have 3 Nobel winners here. 1 pretty cool, the other 2 are nutty as hell.

[truckindj]

what does it all mean to humans

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by truckindj

what does it all mean to humans

That's the fun part: We don't know yet.

Did we know what it all meant when Einstein published his initial work on relativity in 1905? Not a chance. However the far reaching after effects have been fantastic, including how you just posted through your computer. Serious.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by Entropy

That's the fun part: We don't know yet.

Did we know what it all meant when Einstein published his initial work on relativity in 1905? Not a chance. However the far reaching after effects have been fantastic, including how you just posted through your computer. Serious.

I want my gravimetric hover car!

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

I want my gravimetric hover car!

I want real space travel, out of this solar system to start with.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by Entropy

This. Social Science /= Real science, no matter how much they like to say they are actual scientists.



It's all right man.

I get a lot of students who argue the money spent on the LHC, and although it hasn't paid off yet, history makes a pretty strong argument when it comes to investing money into developing technology.

I hear ya'; but "research" & "developing technology" is not restriced to college professors alone.

If there's really something beneficial being discovered, the private sector will then take the lead (and they may have already been the leader originally).

[Uncle Pervey]

Originally Posted by CyberCowboy

I love this sort of stuff with every part of my body.

Even my pee-pee.

Every. Part.

I am right with you on this brother!

Originally Posted by Truckinj

does it all mean to humans

Originally Posted by Entropy

That's the fun part: We don't know yet.


Did we know what it all meant when Einstein published his initial work on relativity in 1905? Not a chance. However the far reaching after effects have been fantastic, including how you just posted through your computer. Serious.

Money spent on research like this is sort of like raising a child, we don't know how it is going to turn out but if the past is a good measuring stick then the chances are pretty good that we are going to benefit from it in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

I want my gravimetric hover car!

Me too!!

Originally Posted by Entropy

I want real space travel, out of this solar system to start with.

I heard someplace that the work going on at CERN could lead to physics break throughs that could lead to warp drive or some other type of FTL cheating!

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

I hear ya'; but "research" & "developing technology" is not restriced to college professors alone.

If there's really something beneficial being discovered, the private sector will then take the lead (and they may have already been the leader originally).

There's not a lot of support in the private sector for particle physics. The initial buy-in is too high, and the pay off is too long term when you have quarterly reports to make and shareholders to make happy. Is it short sighted: absolutely.

The other group who's in competition for this (FermiLab) is also government run.

Believe me when I say that I'm all for making government smaller, but when it comes to something that actually provides technology for us to build on and develop, than I will at least take a good long hard look at it. Not to mention that some of the advantages of running a particle accelerator can be very beneficial for those involved in biology, biochemistry and biophysics and the study of organic molecules (a lot of the scattered x-rays can be used to analyze crystal structures, which leads to better understanding of how they function).

Now does it make sense in this day in age?
That's the real question.

Given that 43% of our budget is reserved for entitlement programs and that a place like Fermilab can operate on an extemely slim percentage of that, makes a strong argument for it.

Personally, I'd like to see it run by private contributers, which is likely going to happen as funding is cut.

I'd rather see my tax money go towards technology and the future vs. those who are done functioning and contributing towards society.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Entropy

There's not a lot of support in the private sector for particle physics. The initial buy-in is too high, and the pay off is too long term when you have quarterly reports to make and shareholders to make happy. Is it short sighted: absolutely.

Totally agree. But just wait to see them jump in line if somebody figures out viable energy production through fusion. If man ever understands gravity, it will make everything we know today about energy production obsolete.

I have hopes that the former would occur in my lifetime.

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by Entropy

I'd rather see my tax money go towards technology and the future...

I can't argue with that.

At the same time, the taxpayers need to be cautious when handing out money to professors that are obviously just saying/promising anything to keep the money train rolling.

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

Totally agree. But just wait to see them jump in line if somebody figures out viable energy production through fusion. If man ever understands gravity, it will make everything we know today about energy production obsolete.

I have hopes that the former would occur in my lifetime.

I want my own fusion device for my house.

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

I can't argue with that.

At the same time, the taxpayers need to be cautious when handing out money to professors that are obviously just saying/promising anything to keep the money train rolling.

Truth.
I have some experience with this, as the lab I did research with would go to FermiLab to do experiements on molecules like I described.

[Uncle Pervey]

Fermi lab is something that I would support with donations, I wonder if there are enough of us like minded individuals to keep it operating? I wonder if anyone has addressed setting up a method for tax payers to donate to it and deduct it from their income taxes. I hate entitlements for anyone but the truly, deserving.

[Cybercowboy]

By definition the gravimetric hover car would include a personal fusion device. Duh! Nobody wants a diesel-powered gravimetric hover car.

When the hover car is parked at home, it the fusion device would augment the household's power supply, allowing one to adjust the local gravity field to whatever you desire. Want to see what it's like on the moon? Dial to 1/6g and enjoy.

[Will]

Originally Posted by Entropy

I want real space travel, out of this solar system to start with.

I, too, want you out of this solar system.

[Uncle Pervey]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

By definition the gravimetric hover car would include a personal fusion device. Duh! Nobody wants a diesel-powered gravimetric hover car.

When the hover car is parked at home, it the fusion device would augment the household's power supply, allowing one to adjust the local gravity field to whatever you desire. Want to see what it's like on the moon? Dial to 1/6g and enjoy.

For your health's sake setting the local gravity to 1.25 would do you more good. Then set it to 1/6 at bed time!

[Meeko87]

We are all screwed when the LHC becomes "self aware" just saying.