Fox News has just reported that the end of the world will be this Wednesday. I hope everyone is wearing clean underwear!
Ok, so I’m exaggerating. The world is not ‘scheduled’ to end on Wednesday, but the process is expected to begin according to German physicist Otto Rossler. And yes. He’s for real. I doubt that there are many who frequent our little corner of the internet who share my interest in particle physics, though I’m sure there are a few, but I think everyone should understand the monumental importance of this field.
According to the Fox News article, the media will be invited to watch Dr. Lyn Evans of Aberdare, England fire up a 17 mile long, doughnut shaped subatomic particle supercollider in an experiment intended to recreate the ‘big bang.’ The machine took an astonishing 14 years to build, but the result should lead to humankind not only unlocking the secrets of the origins of the universe and the unseen particles of space dubbed ‘dark matter,’ but also igniting a literal worldwide zeitgeist, if it doesn’t destroy us first.
(AP Photo)
Ladies and gentlemen, we as an ‘intelligent’ race could be facing enlightenment or extinction and Wednesday (again, this Wednesday) brings us to the tipping point of all human civilization without exaggeration. Fusion power. A dream you say? Dark matter reactors. Science fiction? Say what you like but I distinctly remember learning in elementary school that the concept of a spherical Earth was science fiction at one point. So were airplanes, computers… well you get the point. And don’t forget to consider the types of practical applications the new resultant technology could provide: world peace, zero-pollution hover cars, interstellar travel, and conceptions we can’t even fathom now. Yes, seriously. It’s that important.
So ‘what’s the risk,’ you ask? Dr. Evans says there is none, but Dr. Rossler feels that unleashing the kind of energy expected as an outcome of the experiment could rip the fabric of space time called a ‘stranglet,’ turning the Earth into a Biblical-style fireball and eventual supernova. Yes, you read that correctly. He’s claiming that the experiment, if activated, will in the next few years facilitate the conversion of our planet into a star, making climate change moot.
The project utilizes the talents of the world’s top scientists, promises to provide incredible benefits, and despite the opposition, has not been shut down by authorities. What do you think? Do we as a race feel that we’re finally at the point that we’re tired of the merry-go-round and are ready to finally usher in a new age… with a gamble? Personally, I feel that when you come to a fork in the road, you need to choose a path. I choose human progress. Maybe I’m just adventurous. What say you?
