2009-11-24, 13:49 | Link #4721 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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It is the students who study within their syllabus that predicted the doomsday scenarios and pressed the panic button. Applying more concepts into the question actually clears alot of things up and made most of the scenarios laughable. I have a gut feeling that I applied the wrong concepts. Maybe I should email that to CERN to check. But then again, it would be better to save some face for myself and just make myself look stupid here. Anyone want to help check?
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2009-11-24, 15:40 | Link #4722 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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One of the biggest "problems" is that science happens in public -- brainstorming theories and discarding them as you work through it. The average news media person likes to focus on the "crash boom" and then fails to follow up properly, do the verification, shoot down unsupported assertions, etc (just like they do with most news stories). Average people don't seem to get the training on things like "critical analysis", "risk assessment and mitigation", "statistics", and the other mental tools one really needs to do well in the 21st century.
So, yes, there *was* some concern that mini-blackholes might be a problem... and then someone did the math/research/experiments. But that's a lot less exciting for a news story :P I posted a comic a few months ago that explains the problem with news coverage of science visually. Don't have it handy at the moment.
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2009-11-24, 20:51 | Link #4724 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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Obama's team is likely, ATM, to be worried about the upcoming 2010 elections, and people being people, the Dems standing for [re-]elections will probably get their asses kicked. In terms of things getting done afterwards... Doubt anything significant will happen, but people will still hope - just as they will want to punish those who "failed" their expectations. Any success that come from the 2nd half of Obama's first term will have to come from (1) compromise and (2) standing firm on the absolute core points - but will be medium at best. If Obama and his team are thinking of re-election already, wow. Way too early, IMHO, esp. if they cannot get anything done for real in the 2nd and 3rd years of his 1st term. It's like counting chickens before they hatch - except the hen is still an egg also. Quote:
With black holes, people just hear the "devouring monster of everything" bit, and automatically assume the worst, IMHO. If current physics is wrong and the mini ones somehow do get created and stay around, OTOH, we don't exactly have James P. Hogan's communicator handy to fix things. On the whole, the chances of mini black holes destroying the earth are tiny, and the odds of we just happening to [bad-]lucking our way into it small. Quantum leaps in new physics don't happen every day - or even every century.
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2009-11-24, 22:10 | Link #4725 |
Hopeless Dreamer
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: On bended knee asking Belldandy to marry me
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That 2D girl is mai waifu! Man marries video game.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/p...eogame/1376577 Can't say that I blame him. She is awfully cute.
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2009-11-25, 00:41 | Link #4726 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Speaking of how science evolves... we've got a new theory of gravity to kick around (and yeah, that's part of the process). This one has some interesting solutions to the problem with quantum mechanics versus cosmology/spacetime. It even solves dark matter and expansion inflation as a bonus. It does have some problems - and the head of the team that came up with it hopes the community can thrash it around and either improve or discount it.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...ime-from-space (looking for a better article but this one will do for now)
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2009-11-25, 08:57 | Link #4727 |
eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
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The best argument against any doom scenario is that what happens in the LHC has been happening when high energy cosmic rays hit the upper atmosphere since Earth exists. And Earth does still exist!
I hope that settles some worries. BTW, there is a common misconception that microscopic black holes will immediately suck you in. A black hole of the mass of an elementary particle will also have the gravitational attraction of an elementary particle. i.e. almost none. Even if it does not decay, to grow it would have to capture other particles that come close enough "by accident", one at a time until it is heavy enough for gravity to become relevant. I'm sure somebody has already done some back on the envelope calculation on how long it takes to gobble up the Earth under these circumstances. I can only guess that it will take looooooong. Even if you happen to come across a black hole of the mass of a tennis ball, it's still a quite harmless object. Feed it with a diet of electrons so it becomes charged, store it in a strong magnetic trap and show it off to your friends. Even if you accidentally drop it to (and through) the floor, there will be enough time to destroy the evidence and buy some real estate on Mars as long as it's still cheap. Now I hope I made you worried again, har, har.
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2009-11-25, 15:09 | Link #4728 |
✖ ǝʇ ɯıqnɾl ☆
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Mortuary : D
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Video.Game.Marriage weirdness never seizes to amaze me . To a non anime fan this is beyond bizarre ... my vocabulary fails me to use the right expression . However you look at it , feels like a cheap publicity stunt by Konami (??) / DS .
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2009-11-25, 21:37 | Link #4729 | ||||
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
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Nago assembly urges Kanagawa governor to stop backing Okinawa base deal
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I cannot comprehend. Why can't Russia just give back all four islands as that it was never their territory to begin with? More over, this would ensure strong bilateral ties in the future.. |
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2009-11-25, 21:54 | Link #4730 | ||
Impostor Cutie
Join Date: Oct 2009
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But in the future, maybe in 10 years or 20, when Japan will leave US' sphere of influence and aquire true independency, a deal between Russia and Japan is quite possible. Something like islands in exchange for some technologies, or maybe a deal allowing russian companies bigger stakes on japanese market. But as long as US "rules" Japan I can't see it happening. (In other words, Russia can participate in a deal with Japan, but it should be "friendly" Japan. But as long as major aspects of Japan's foreign and military policies decided in US, it's kinda improbable for it (Japan) to become friendly with Russia, to provide Russia with some substantial [technological or economic] benefit, even in exchange for the islands.) (In yet another words - you said this: Quote:
Actually I see another variant, hardly probable but still. Imagine such shift in US policies that they stop treat Russia as enemy and become Russia's friend. As a result Russian-Japanese relations will become friendly too... Actually scratch this. It will never happen.
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Last edited by Cyrus17; 2009-11-25 at 22:44. Reason: spelling |
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2009-11-25, 22:34 | Link #4731 | |
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2006
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2009-11-26, 00:55 | Link #4732 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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In financial news, US dollar plunges to a 13 year low against the Japanese yen... its actually much worse if you look at the overall history. Interestingly, none of the exchange analysis sites I found want to think back farther than 500 days :P
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Today it is sitting at 86.73 yen per dollar... Maybe US bonds/treasurynotes aren't such a good idea.... it certainly makes shopping painful..
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2009-11-26, 02:19 | Link #4734 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
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Are you sure? I mean.. Both the United States and Russia are cooperating in the plan of reducing nuclear warheads, as well as other forms of financial cooperation. If Russia sees the United States as an enemy, it would be strange for them to reduce nukes. |
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2009-11-26, 03:55 | Link #4735 | ||
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Must have been the upcoming Macross movie that is the cause of this......
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2009-11-26, 09:50 | Link #4736 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: China
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OTOH, with the U.S. debt now over US$12 trillion and the likelihood of more being issued in the start of 2010 (due to the debt ceiling already set to US$12.104 trillion), the dollar will probably just get weaker next year. The Japanese companies themselves will not look very good, IMHO; they have already dropped their winter bonuses' level, which will hit many people. The U.S. Treasury will likely continue to give lip service to a stronger dollar, however.
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2009-11-26, 11:36 | Link #4737 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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"Russia enemy of US" is old Soviet Cold War nonsense and no longer applicable.
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2009-11-26, 18:09 | Link #4740 | |
Rawrrr!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: CH aka Chocaholic Heaven
Age: 40
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On a side note, you won't find many countries ready to lose national territory to another. Mutual border correction is one thing, but losing territory is a big no-no these days. Even if these are barren rocks in the middle of the sea, the fishing and potential oil resources involved are considerable, even if you put national pride aside.
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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