According to the BBC today is Big Bang Day. They even have one of the presenters of the Today programme based in CERN waiting for the LHC to be started up. Although it is excellent that we are getting what is generally portrayed as a positive news story on science, there is still an undercurrent of “evil/foolish scientists may destroy us all” in many of the news stories. I suspect these are covered in the interests of “balance and fairness” but also probably because they are better stories from selling news. However, I have seen at least one good cartoon on the subject (As this is in a British daily paper, the link may only be correct for 24 hours.
Science coverage on the BBC is reasonably good. They have some good talking heads including my colleague Brian Cox, who has been allegedly quoted as saying “Anyone who thinks the LHC will destroy the world is a twat.” An excellent sentiment one might think but unfortunately he never said it. Both Brian and Stephen Hawking (amongst others) have been used to present the science is safe argument but although they give good answers, these are glossed over or ignored by commentators. A good example is the widespread story that “the world might end today” when the LHC is switched on. Today is a test day when the ring is tested to see that it will produce a stable beam of protons. That will be followed over the next few days with further tests on this and the anti-proton ring. Collisions will start on a later date when the two halves of the experiment are proved and running. So world might end some day in the near future would be a more accurate but less exciting headline.
Still it is good to see science in the news. The best quote today comes from Brian Cox who pointed out that the comtribution to the LHC from the UK was slightl;y less less than the country spends on importing peanuts. So the science literally costs peanuts.
What the fuck is it with people? Even the Grauniard runs a piece titled Will the world end on Wednesday?:
Complete and utter twonks, that’s what they are.
fume
I wonder how many physics departments and labs are spending a happy morning exchanging physics jokes ? We keep looking at the side of the building nearest Geneva to see if we can see an approaching event horizon… We are easily amused.
Google today:
And don’t forget to check out http://hasthelargehadroncolliderdestroyedtheworldyet.com/.
Best link I’ve seen on this, Richard.
I’m wondering how many blog posts today will start with the words ‘So much for the end of the world’ or similar.
@Matt
I guess you have seen the link to the Large Hadron Rap