MadSci Network: Physics |
As particle accelerators have become increasingly powerfull some sciencetists have expressed concern that we may create particles that may affect surroundings in undesiable ways. Some scientists have even suggested that we may create a black hole by accident which would be very unfortunate for all of us I imagine. From my limited knowledge of high energy physics i have understood that when particles are collided, they become a single particle where all kinetic energy is transformed to mass for a brief instant. Someone explained that what we're doing today is equivalent to colliding two pingpong balls (anti protons) to produce a bowling ball (a particle weighing approximately as much as a gold atom). Now with accelerators being capable of accelerating particles to 99.9% of lightspeed is there anything to wory about ?
Re: Can particle accellerators implode 'in our face' ?
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