Risk Evaluation Forum
Recent developments in physics suggest the possibility that an experiment, scheduled to begin at the European research facility at CERN late in 2007, will destroy the Earth. CERN is installing a new high-energy particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It is expected to produce particles scientists have not seen before. Two of these particles could be dangerous.

Black Holes
Several string theorists have published papers predicting that the LHC will produce mini black holes. In the worst case, a mini black hole could swallow Earth.

Strangelets
Strangelets, another potential collider product, might catalyze conversion of normal matter into more strangelets, turning Earth into a small ball of strangelets.

Safety Factors
CERN has published a paper asserting several safety factors. Black holes are supposed to dissipate via Hawking radiation. A collection of strangelets is supposed to be electrically positive on its surface, and therefore not attract other matter. However, new studies have put these safety factors in question. A new physics paper questions the existence of Hawking radiation. A recently published paper finds that a collection of strangelets can be negative on its surface. Other safety factors also seem subject to question. For more details, see our discussion and reference sections.

Risk Management
Proper risk management requires a formal risk assessment. CERN has done this for radiation in their tunnels, but not for black holes and strangets. Further, a proper risk assessment requires updates when new information becomes available. We encourage CERN to do a formal risk assessment.

What You Can Do
This issue should be on the public agenda. Readers can help by thinking about and discussing the issue. Readers can also contact us to learn about and help with our initiatives. We also encourage physicists to work on the issue. Physicists quickly see model limiters; consider if they are reliable enough to protect something as valuable as Earth. We encourage funding for physicists to help them work on this issue.


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Discussion of the problem
Help us find a limit to this model
Forum
References and links to published articles
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