When Subatomic Particles Collide

We'll find out what happens tomorrow when CERN flips the switch on their brand new Large Hadron Collider. Some fear--lawsuits and death threats abound--the end is nigh. Although this 27 kilometer, 125 (or so) meter-underground experiment will reproduce conditions similar to those present at the Big Bang, most believe we will not see the cataclysmic visions of some transpire.

Some worry that the black holes created by the myriad collisions of subatomic particles in the LHC will survive and grow exponentially to cause hurricanes, tsunamis, or even to just gulp up the entire planet.

The goal of this thing?

• Learn about how our universe was born
• Maybe discover the Higgs boson, the so-called "God particle," which is all theory at present
• Maybe discover extra dimensions of space as predicted by string theory
• Give theoretical physicists something to do on Sundays (see: crunching the data)

Bonne Chance, sciencey peoples!



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Update (10 September 08):

Success! And we're all still alive (so far)...


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