Geek's Talk VI: Black Holes ? Here ?

Salam & good day

Probably some of us did not notice that, on 10th Sept 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (simply known as LHC) has started its first experiment, to simulate the conditions just after the Big Bang in an attempt to answer fundamental questions of science and the universe itself. Fundamentally it will smash two particles, known as proton (bukan kereta Proton ye ....), head-to-head together. During our old days in school, we did learn that atom is the smallest particle that can not be divided anymore (at least without changing its chemical properties). This thing - atom is governed by others three particles ~ electrons, protons, and neutrons.

Bukan Proton yang ni yee.....

Tapi proton yg ni ..... (tulisan merah tu)

By the way, Large Hadron Collider is a complex building for particle physics experiments and was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and lies underneath the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland (CERN is the birthplace of the world-wide web (WWW)~ the internet application that you are using now to read my blog) . It is funded by and built in collaboration with over eight thousand physicists from over eighty-five countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories. The first beams were circulated through the collider on 10 September 2008, and the first high-energy collisions are expected to take place after 6-8 weeks (when the protons is reaching its maximum speed to approximate the speed of light ~ up to 99.99% and will collide).

LHC (as marked as a red circle) covers two countries (France & Switzerland) with 27 km circumference (underneath up to 175 meters)

The underground illustration of LHC

Having this experiment in hand, the LHC is expected to observe some particles that may explain the birth of our universe, after the Big Bang theory event. The Big Bang Theory, currently accepted explanation of the beginning of the universe. This theory proposes that the universe was once extremely compact, dense, and hot. The it was a cosmic "explosion" (would rather to be called as a separation process), occurred about 10 billion to 20 billion years ago, and the universe has since been expanding and cooling. This event is implicitly explained in the Holy Quran as;

“Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one connected entity, then We parted them? And We have made water every living thing. Will they not then believe ?”
(Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya: 30)

So, if the LHC is doing its job to observe the foundation of the beginning of our universe, so what is wrong with it ? Well, according to some physicists, the LHC can operate at high enough (theoretically) energies to generate mini (micro)-black holes. Black holes concept is one of the magnificent entities in the universe, which is defined by concentrated areas of mass that so immense, that the great force of gravity denies anything within a certain area around it from passing (even light). It sucks everything into it. It is one weird way to go. Having such a black hole in our place, it is like, one moment, you’re here. And the next -- you’re not. It will be sudden, and dramatic. Within seconds, the planet, with everything and everyone on it, is reduced to nothingness.

Artist concept of black holes (since nobody can see black holes)

However, the vast majority of physicists say there is no need for alarm. If any should be created, they should evaporate quickly. However such event is very speculative, and the creation of black holes in this process is deemed unlikely by many physicists. For example, the earth is constantly hit by cosmic rays which undergo in interactions with particles in the earth's atmosphere collisions with a higher energy than the LHC will reach. If it was possible to produce a black hole this way which would then swallow the earth, this would not only very likely already have happened some billion years ago. It should not be a false alarm to be panicked. :-).

Anak gajah: Bangau oh bangau kenapa engkau kurus?
Bangau: Macamana aku tak kurus, risau dok memikir pasal black holes
Anak gajah: huk elehhhhhh ......poyo laa

On a serious note, the infamous physicist, Stephen Hawking has calculated all black holes should emit radiation, and that tiny black holes should lose more mass than they absorb, evaporating within a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second, before they could gobble up any significant amount of matter. If they could make it through, it will take them at least billion years to eat at most one milligram of earth material. I guess it will happen after our earth is destroyed by pollution, wars or even the end of the day. Ok, time to turn off you panic button. ! :-)

Pakcik said: Well i was asked by a couple of friends, why i have a firm believe in religion, since they speculate that science and religion is two different entities. From my point of view, science does not disprove God, it proves the process of God's actions. In this case, the Big Bang could be God's process of how He created our universe. Nothing peculiar. ~ and being a faithful God devoted scientist is not an oxymoron stuff.