[thaifighter541]

I have some questions for smart people on this forum about the Large Hadron Collider.

How will the discoveries made during this experiment benefit mankind and/or advance technology? It seems all I have been able to find is that the discoveries will only seem to prove or disprove theories of cosmologists, physicists and even philosophers, but I'm no too smart on this so somebody enlighten me.

To go further and possibilty show even more stupidity on my part, will this experiment possibly further fusion technology(basically a limitless pollutant free form of providing energy)?

[Mithra]

Potential Benefits- The only assured benefits would be increase knowledge, we don't know what that knowledge will lead us to. Greater knowledge of antimatter could leader to using it as an energy source or it may not.

No one really knows what we will find out and what that knowledge will allow us to accomplish

[Zenon]

well yes, knowledge. And very basic, fundamental knowledge, too.
It's basically about how the universe works and is built.

But practical, well, take for instance quantum physics, quantumcomputers would be a huge milestone in the history of humanity, quantum cryptography will lead to physically secure information transfer (eg you will know if someone tapped your line or not, with no physical means for a workaround) and so on. And as with many physics discoveries, it will spread to almost all other fields as well. for instance x-ray stuff to figure out the structure of proteins is a nice example for advances in physics leading to huge biological discoveries. Or MRI in the medical field wouldn't have been possible for the physics behind it, which is quantum physics (spin and so on, quantum states of hydrogen atoms).

So while it doesn't directly research a certain technology or application, it will lay a foundation for that kind of research. So fundamental research is extremely important.

Just imagine what the knowledge of gravity could do to science (we still don't know how gravity works ;) we know that objects get pulled together and how they behave when they do, but the 'why' is still shrouded in mist).

Or what it would do to astronomy if they could really create miniature black holes

[Jay Pan ROKK]

The LHC will show us much more than anything else about particles.

It may lead us to a revolutionary theory of the universe, or practical use like cold fusion.

[Zenon]

oh and i forgot the benefits there already are. the LHC was fitted into the same tunnel as the old CERN collider LEP was. But it is supposed to generate much more energy. For that you either need a bigger thorus (it's 27km in circumference) or better magnets. to get those better magnets they put a huge effort into research and came up with new manufacturing-techniques, new basic layoutprinciples and so on, together with a lot of other stuff.
It's as with some new nasa spaceship, many of the technologies used will eventually end up as cheap ass telemarketing products to make your car shiny

[AZGnP]

I heard it could possibly cause a black hole to form.

[gasguzzler]

Originally Posted by AZGnP

I heard it could possibly cause a black hole to form.

Possible, but unlikely.

[jahred]

Originally Posted by AZGnP

I heard it could possibly cause a black hole to form.

i think it's more along the lines of 'micro' black holes, ones that dissipate almost instantly due to hawking radiation. the image of it creating some powerful black hole that would destroy the solar system is only the popularized version, i think.

the LHC is not even widely expected to create these little guys apparently though (according to the wiki article).

[BigB0SS]

we are about to witness "end day" like that NGC show

[Wolverine Frog]

I just have one question: When are we gonna get those flying cars?