Although I am writing to the ‘yes’ side of this debate, I could be wrong! If you believe the theories, it could go either way. If HB is found, or dark matter really wipes out light matter, then we are doomed, black holes will appear, multiply and eventually join up to suck in the rest of the world0 it could only takeonesmall blackhole according sto some!- but if the theories are wrong, then this will never happen in the first place as we do not know if black holes really even exist (no-one has found one for sure).
The, there are the other theories such as Hawkins’ Radiation, which suggests that even if black holes are created, this radiation will dissipate or destroy them as soon as they form. Again, it is a theory, we do not know if it is correct and proving it could either be a damp squib or the end of the Earth (as we know it!)
What is true is that theories which at one time seemed fantastical and from the realm of science fiction are now taken seriously and a lot of time, money and scientific minds have been put to the testing of these theories.
We seek knowledge. We want to know where we came from or perhaps where we are going (or could go!).
Even if blackholes exist or dark matter froms, without experiencing these things ourselves, how will we know whether the Earth will survive if the theories are true? Why would we not simply pass into and out of a black hole? Perhaps dark matter exists alongside light matter and it does not matter (sorry!) one way or the other how much of each exists in the same spatial time scale. We do not know.
However, governemtns have assigned the rights to inquire and we can hope they would not sanction experiments which really could destroy the Earth. The scientists too would surely not want the responsibility of carrying out experiments which carried with them the risk of wiping out the entire population of the Earth? There have been objections, both on scientific, moral and human rights issues but these have been swiftly rejected.
Yet, if we look back at history, we can see that ideas and theories get tested and proved – splitting the atom was one. Intended to be put to good use, Mankind soon found the destructive forces in nuclear atomic atom splitting and used it against his fellow Man so perhaps we will gain a lot of knowledge from the experiments of HDC but also perhaps we should learn from the past and stick to beneficial uses .
The LHC experiment is seen as the next frontier we cross in terms of increasing our knowledge and it is hoped that the amount of information generated will be 10,ooo times that generated from other experiments – this means a pile over 16 mles high of CDs to be analysed. So perhaps then, the LHC is actually a tool to ensure scientists are employed for the next few years deciphering the data.
So, in theory yes, the LHC does have the potential to destroy the Earth, but in practice? Only time ( or a large black hole) will tell.
