let us trust the learned scientists. they have spent their lives researching physics. when they say nothing will happen, let's assume NOTHING to worry about.

but if it is really a blackhole ... how long it will take a proton size black hole to swell in size and gobble the earth?

anup roy, mumbai, india

A small black hole? I thought that by its dfinitiona black hole was self feeding. It's incredable density created gravity that dragged matter and energy in which in turn increased its density. So if one pops up, then you can't stop it? If I'm wrong, cool. If I'm right......we'll be gone, quick!

paul, lincoln, uk

BTW: Just for everyone's info, the Bible cannot be credited with telling everyone that the world was flat. People were far more 'with it' before the creation of the Bible. Yajnavalkya (9-8 C. BCE) wrote that the world was roundin his work Shatapath Brahmana.

G. Boyd, Ansbach, Germany

I want to know who was the scientist who thought of this idea

yassar, Nerul,Navi Mumbai - 400706, India

to Maz, sheffield, uk
It is to satisfy our curiosity about origin of human being and surraunded nature. We have crossed the line of being stupid cows and we want to get some answers. I think it is just amazing. At least some money were spent for good. Not wars etc...

Elena, Moscow, Russia

I dont know where the rediculous rumor about the black hole destroying the earth became blown out of proportion, but it is rediculous. Scientists said there was a slight chance that the machine could create a black hole, but if it did it would be the size of a proton and wouldnt be much risk.

Jessica, Georgia, USA

Why cant things just be left as they are! Why put the world at such a risk, and for what! Its not really going to achieve anything, exept perhaps destruction of the whold planet. It should NOT be aloud to happen

Maz, sheffield, uk

this isn't about disproving God. in fact Stephen Hawking states in his book that the earth does not hold all the chemical compounds necessary to create human life and he himself believes there was a greater power involved in regards to creation.
Not all scientists bow to the Big Bang...harhar.

Lily, Boston,

There is something terribly wrong with this. Maximum energy use of 14 teraelectronvolts next year? 14 TeV is less energy then it takes to start your car. But 14 TeraWatts is 13270142180 BTU. This amount of energy built up of a few minutes relased all at once (when the 2 protons hit) will KILL ALL.

marty, mentor, usa

God help us all, if people stop believing in science!

Paul, Hertford, UK

I'm embarrassed to be an American. All the stupid God-talk seems to be coming from here. Look people: unless you live in a cave and dress in animal skins, science dictates your entire life. The drugs you take when you're sick, the microwave that heats your food, and the light you ready by. God? Heh.

Joel, San Jose, CA, USA

peter, powys, wales,
you are confusing the internet with the world wide web.
Tim Berners-Lee from CERN proposed what we now call the world wide web, this just happens to be accessed via the internet

Adrian, bristol, uk

Who allowed CERN to do this experiment? How can such experiments be done without 100% YES vote in UNO? On the same lines, any other few countries can do cutting edge experiments deep underground with deadly micro-organisms and declare they are going to find the origin of life.

JS Karkada, Bangalore, India

Cool, but the "big bang" theory needs to be discredited. How many times has the "size" of the universe been adjusted (always upward) as we can "see" farther out into space? Those still clinging to this theory give us a great example of making the science fit the theory, not the other way.

Kent, Reno, USA

It's good to see some other community other than the US do this study. We had a grandiose plan to build a 20Tev collider in Texas in the early 1990's. But it was cancelled, and rightly so, when it's 4.4B budget ballooned to 12B. I'm glad to see CERN picking up the ball and running with it.

Chris, Putnam Valley, USA

Quite interesting. Anybody pay attention to how quantum mech. works you would know that a proper spin would not be a black hole. Black holes are in reverse. SO thank you scientist for giving us energy that is not needed.

Shiela, Cleveland, USA

Tim Wheaton, Watertown, WI, United States. How sad that you view this monumental achievement is such a small way. You prefer the $2trillion dollars the US has spent on an illegal war?

Sorry to say also that the Big Bang is not theory, its proven FACT!

Geoff Rowe, Northampton, UK

Religion crumbles more and more every day...

Sean MAUCERI, BOSTON, United States

He also made a particle accelerator, too, Vinny. Any questions?

Rocco, Flushing, MI,

The US govt spends 1 trillion on destroying Iraq and here we are doing groundbreaking science and people complain about the cost. The outcomes of this work will have spinoffs you haven't even dreamt of. You religious simpletons astound me. Genesis!!! Quaint fable...

Tom, Oxford , UK

God is about to be disproved. Hold on to your hats, gentleman (and ladies). And don't tell me "The bible says..."; Man wrote the bible. End of story.

D. Kuraner, Keene, USA

Actually Ryan, the Bible told us the earth was round thousands of years before anyone thought it was flat. Not that anyone on that side of the pond reads the Bible anymore.Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Tike, Rochester, Usa

If this ever succeed..When this experiment is done..If all the "questions" have been answered..Then what's next? are they gonna be able to stop all wars? Cure the diseases? That's a lot of money they're spending on this experiments! I wish this would generate more jobs and better healthcare..

Lars, Los Angeles, U.S.

Yes--In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.....all they had to do was read the Bible for FREE and they would KNOW how the universe was created and all this money could have gone to feed the millions of starving children in the world or to do something to HELP people.
JESUS IS LORD.

Cheri Hunt, Canastota, Ny, USA

Anyone who seriously wants to understand the universe and the source of energy that sustains life on Earth can find the answer with Einstein's equation (E = mc^2) and mass/energy relations in these 3000 mass data points:

http://www.omatumr.com/Data/2000Data.htm

O K Manuel
http://myprofile.cos.com/

Oliver K. Manuel, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA

Who is to say that the Big Bang and the Bible are mutually exclusive? We all search for and find God in our own way. I told my 4 year old daughter that every time she sees a beautiful flower, she has seen God.

Mitch, New York City, USA

Don't flippantly tell me that it's not dangerous when the fact is you don't know. These "geniuses" didn't even know if the process was going to be faster than the LHC's predecessor by virtue of what Dr. Evans said in this article, "How long it’ll take I don’t know." There's probably a lot of unknown

BT, Anytown, USA

I was Just Readin All The Above and it sounds amazing. Im Not sure what ive been hearing is true and i may sound stupid asking But is It goin to Go wrong and Kill us??

vikki, Wales, Wales

A bit late, but to Will in Austin,TX, I think that you will ind that the Earth orbits the Sun but revolves on its own axis. It will still come as a shock to Sarah.

C Byrne, Pinner, UK

Imagine that! A (not so) big bang "created" by scientists. Now if man could only "create" the particles necessary to collide we would have all the answers. Man's arrogance knows no limits.

Dave, fowlerville, usa

The Bible does not explain how the heavens go... but rather how to go to the heavens.

Philip, Columbus, USA

I will steal a line from Jurrasic Park's Ian Malcom. "Your scientist were so preoccupied with whether or not they could accomplish this feat of scientific achievement. That they did not think about whether or not they should ". This could be dangerous.

Tom, Fort Myers, US

SHUCKS - I thought 10.09 08 was going to be the D Day. Now, it'll be another week before we have 'trial colusions' to recereate the conditions of the Big Bang, and another year or two before we know if we've found the God Particle that gives mass t energy. DOH - God must be laughing in his heaven!

Margarita, Crouch End , England

I begrudge every penny of the trillions spent on arms and weapons over the last 30 years which have brought humanity only misery, suffering, death and no lasting benefit. I would happily pay it all to supplement the pittance spent on Hadron which brings only useful knowledge and long term good.

Gerard Mulholland, Paris, France

goodness, all this debate and people getting wound up.

if this machine teaches us something about the origin of the universe (and i hope it does), what we learn must also be set within the parameters of the experiment - ie, people designed a machine that would do this. same for the 'big bang'?

Steve, belfast,

Believing science and religion are two completely separate things is Dualistic. Science has always been a part of creation. God has created the world in such an order that we can learn about its order and complexity. Religion is not something that can be escaped. The belief in nothing is a belief.

Joel, Randolph, USA

To the scientists and makers of this Hadron Collider I ask,
To what end do we build technology? What is the best case scenario? And how much money, time, and effort should we spend on this technology? The book "A Brave New World" sheds some interesting ideas on this subject.

What's your worldview?

Joel, Randolph, USA

Seriously, we spend way more money on Baseball. Good luck on searching for your answer on infinity. I think you're half way there with infinity left to go.

Now let's build some more stadiums with hot dogs.

jjj, Long Island, usa

By going for Big-Bang and looking for the Higg's Boson, are we trying to eat the "Fruit" of the "Forbidden Tree of Knowledge" ? Are we heading towards the end of this universe? For more info:
http://jogygeorge.cat.googlepages.com/myviews

Jogy George, Indore, India

Sounds like intelligent design to me. Where did the first two particles come from? What force set them in motion? Science is observing what happens when these particles collide. Hypothesizing the source of the beginning of the universe is religion. Intelligent Design or Dumb Luck? You decide...

Bryan, Cypress, CA, US

So after this experiment have they formed a tiny little universe under the alps now?

Liddy, Columbia, MD

At 28Kmh, I don't think it's going to be that dangerous.......

Adam, Brisbane, Oz

Let science and superstition be kept at an arms length, especially in a land like India. Many self proclaimed gurus and pundits encased the opportunity of this "Big Bang experiment"They cajoled the gullible folks to perform poojas and yagnas, to ward off the evil and anathema of the Doomsday.Smart!!

sandy dheer, New Delhi, India

scientists are very limited as the universe is beyong any human senses to comprehend. Enquiries, enquiries, enquiries and that's all I'm a afraid. Science has no depth in explaining reality. There are only observations at different levels of materialistic depth. eg day is from sun shine.sun from?

Kiran Tailor_post graduate in science, Leicester, Leicestershire

If there is any justification for the prolongation of the scientific pursuit of knowledge, at whatever financial cost, it is the free continuation of the unscientific love of ignorance, of which several of the comments on this article are solid and quite irrefutable evidence.

Rhys V. Williams, Madrid, Spain

For those questioning the LHC's value, ever wonder how radiation therapy and x-rays came about? As a by-product of scientists "massaging their egos" by trying some other "worthless" things in pure physics... like splitting the atom. Doom-sayers: stick to electricity causing cancer and other myths.

Phil, Wellington, New Zealand

Why do people believe religion and science are at odds with each other. Neither makes any attempt to even ask the other's fundemental question. Science asks how something happened. Religion asks why did it happen - was there a purpose to it. This is how was the universe created not why.

Jackson, Salt Lake City, USA

For the people who think that CERN invented the www. it was actually the brainchild of Robert Taylor and Levi C. Finch, neither of whom have or have had any connection with CERN

peter, powys, wales

It may surprise some that the book of Isaiah (written 700 BCE) refers to the Earth as a globe. 3,000 years ago, some scholars of the Torah (containing the first 5 books of the Bible) put the age of the universe at 15 billion years.

Try reading the Bible and its sources before ridiculing it.

Mike, Austin, TX, USA

The CERN experiment is gonna give us a scientific explanation about tthe creation of the universe ,of this world and the human existance based on elements that nobody can opponets . I hope people stop believing on religion fantasies
about the creation from now and then.


dimtris, athens, gr

dimitris vene, athens, greece

I believe this will probably be the next big leap in science where it comes to quantum physics. I'm excited about all the doors that will open for mankind. I just hope they don't try to hide everything from the rest of us. Big Brother & the beads and rattles crowd likes to control everything.

Bob R, Tulsa, United States

I hope that human use his science for mankinds wills and peace! not to make a new kind of BOMBs to kill other ones!

Sepehr, Tabriz, IRAN

Thank you Ben, your comment was both new and interesting.

James, Essex, England

To put things in perspective, the losses of Northern Rock alone could have financed over 50 LHCs. Some commentators here should concern themselves with the costs incurred through poor governance of businesses rather than focusing on science spending, the latter amounting to a mere drop in the ocean.

Ben, Bristol, UK

Why the cash fuss? The UK is spending far more on the Olympics---all over in 14 days. The CERN experiment will last for years. Scientists are curious by nature, that's why we don't live in caves anymore.

David Vinter., Louth, Lincs,, UK.

The world has spent over 4 bill on bibles and that gave us little to no answers. And for those who say we (humans) shouldn't have done this should have to fill out a family tree and any future family members should not be allowed to reap the benefits of this test.

rick, miami, usa

Yeah Tim, the Big Bang IS a theory. Theories are kinda the stock and trade for those people who figure out the way the universe works. They're called scientists. Scientists use theories so that when they learn new facts they can change the theory. I think what you're looking for is DOGMA.

Bill B, middleton, WI, USA

I cannot believe the utter ignorance and stupidity of these comments. The technological offshoots to come out of this project are going to be massive.

You do realise you wouldn't even be writing on this little thing called the World Wide Web if it wasn't for CERN creating it?

AL, Durham, UK

Wish those clowns had paid me 4bil for the answer to the universe. I would have emailed them Genesis 1:1! Duhhhh. Now all that gizmo is good for is to recharge my camera batteries!!

Ron, Boston, USA

i think that most of us wonder from time to time,about the origin of the universe.this experiment may be the answer to questions that some of the population would rather have explained by the supernatural, ie,"God".isnt it more likely that science is our answer?a truely fantastic move for humanity!!

Shannen, Newtownards, Northern Ireland

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Any questions?

Vinny Joy, Chattanooga, USA

Next you will be telling us that the earth is flat.

Ryan, Southsea, uk

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Any questions?

Yes, maybe so, but if we could re-create and harness that energy - oh my!

Robert, Edmonton, Canada

To all who claim that no benefits come from CERN, it’s a waste of money and we can live without it: - One of the first was the invention of the World Wide Web to deal with the data produced. Since you have used the WWW to leave posts here I presume it’s worthwhile!

NC, High Wycombe, UK

I'm still waiting for the world to end...oh wait a minute...wasn't that 2000...or was it 2001...because of the year 0!!

We do know that the world will end in 4.5 billion years or so...when the sun transforms into a red giant...but something tells me we'll be long gone.

Good luck CERN!

Robert, Eagle Colorado, USA

Particle collisions happen all the time, just not in a controlled environment that is able to observe the results. I believe the scientists when they say there is no danger of 'the end of the world'. And $4B may be a lot, but well worth it to understand more of quantum mechanics.

Rich, Boston, USA

First of all I support science I'm a big fan of NASA.

But this experiment is WAY TO DANGEROUS to do ON EARTH.

Why can't they wait 30 more years then try this again in outer space where it would be safe in case it did blow up or cause a mini-black hole.

Risking too much to prove a point!

A.B., Boise, USA

'"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Any questions?'

Yes: How can you use a computer to type that AND discredit the whole science that made it possible?

Fernando Canto, Porto Alegre, Brazil

The worst part of these comments is the elitist physicists who say common people should butt out.

Fine, I'm common and more than happy to butt out, but I'm taking my money with me. Build the next one of these toys on your own salary. What exactly have you answered in the last 50 years anyway?

Leonard Hoglan, Tucson, USA

I can't believe people are failing to see the importance of such an experiment! They obviously have not researched anything to do with the LHC and do not realise that it is not to massage egos! It is to answer the questions that remain with us through life and may even help in real life situations!

Katie Morris, Rotherham, England

maybe it did blow us all to kindgom come and we're there already

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Um. People do realize that today wasn't the actual test, right? That doesn't happen until October. All they did today was launch the beam of protons in a clockwise direction. The actual test involves them launching two beams in opposite directions and having the protons collide. This was a beam test

Ben, Austin, TX, USA

To all the people who think $4.4 bln is a lot of money compared to the technology we will learn from this, you obviously have no idea how much money the world blows.. If this went through the US budget no one would notice, we would have congressmen and women crying about how underfunded it is..

Caleb, Kansas City, USA

Get real people, the "Big Bang Theory" is just that, a theory. Scientists will never discover the key to the universe unless God throws it in their laps! It is a shame that we spend this kind of money on science and theories when we should be spending it to feed and clothe the world!

Tim Wheaton, Watertown, WI, United States

Whatever positive benefits that come from this will be hogged by the militaries of the world to see how human-beings they can kill.

Larry McCombs, Bloomington, United States

Behold, The world's largest flea circus!

Dave, Augusta, GA

What's a "Matter" with you lot??

Jags, Coventry, UK

Perhaps this "experiment" could find out what came first the chicken, or the egg? my belief is that the chicken came first.

Joe Swanson, Quahog, US

Weinberg et al say the universe is meaningless, an accident without purpose. Why should we care about the fine detail of a meaningless accident? Spend the money on something that HAS purpose, like alleviating human suffering, instead of funding the hobby of a few status-driven super-egos.

JS, Leeds, UK

Spending billions simply to massage the ego of scientists is immoral. If that same money had been spent on medical research they might have achieved something. Its funny that they have such a large collective intelligence, but lack any moral decency, common sense or knowledge of what is right.

Peter, W-S-M, UK

Well done to all the Scientists who have accomplished such a feat. There will always be people who believe the end of the world is nigh - just ignore them.

Gilmartin, Bristol, England

Over $4,400,000,000 to attempt to recreate the beginnings of the universe? What an incredible waste of money. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Any questions?

Vinny Joy, Chattanooga, USA

Seriously folks, those of you who don't see the importance of this experiment. Getting the most amazing minds on the planet to work together on as difficult a project as this will (as it has over the years) bring about huge amounts of technology we have never seen before.

Mike Foote, Fairfax, USA

radiation: small black holes evaporate in less than a millionth of a second, and lack any gravitational pull to 'suck things in'. Only black holes created by collapsing stars are dangerous. The idea that the LHC is in any way dangerous or risky is a pure crackpot notion with no physics support.

rbensing, Bloomington, USA

Here we have it then! the begining of the end. Why?, and more to the point, what a complete waste of money $4.4billion. With all of the diseases & starving millions in the world the money would have been better spent solving these problems first, not on the whims of a few scientists we're all doomed

peter, powys, wales

"why would you risk the entire human race and the planet just to see what could've happened"
To understand the past is to understand not only what is happening around us but also that which is to come...

Arslan, London, London

Im not conCERNed!

Sanjay, Bristol, Uk

Once they've sorted out this god particle stuff can they have a crack at getting British Rail trains on time please!

On a serious note great work and I wish them every success.

Andrew, London,

It's easy to understand why so many people are convinced by the hysterical end-of-world theories about the LHC:

The real story which involves a lot of mathematical equations and boring little particles just isn't interesting enough.

Mark, London,

Wow! I can't wait for the results this fall. This was just a test the real show comes later.

Good luck CERN!!!

and to all those "the sky is not going to fall, but EXPLODE!", I have news for you, keep this quiet, but the earth revolves around the sun! I know! amazing!

Will, Austin, Texas, USA

What if our current universe was created by and experiment like this? Oh dear... what's going to happen this time?

Alex, Bristol,

can anybody tell me what good this very costly experiment is going to do, as far as I can see the answer is none at all, its once again the result of a lot of over eager "scientists" inflating their own egos, and to think that the uk have given money to this to the tune of 1/2 billion pounds

jean tait, ramsgate, england

I wish CERN great success and hope that one day (SOON) the secret to developing a new energy source will happen... hopefully that new energy can take humans to the end of the universe.

Tony Webb, Cape Canaverla, Florida, USA

A lot of cash, but its looking good, i hope they do find "new physics" but whether they discover the Higgs Boson remains to be seen.
Could be a costly failure.

VW, Bristol, England.

..and there we have the common people's opinions. Just do the world a favour and don't get involved, because with you involved, humanity's progress is slowed down. There is so much to be learnt from all the possible results you can't even imagine (I'm a physicist, so I know what I'm talking about!).

Kayron, Gibraltar, Gibraltar

why would you risk the entire human race and the planet just to see what could've happened because if it goes wrong no-one will care or even know how the world was created as we will all be dead just because some scientists were curious. in my view its a waste of time and far to much of a risk.

fluer king, lincoln, england

Ok Qaz, lets stop one of the most important experiments in history.
Because you are worried.
I'll get on the phone to them now.

Sol, Norwich, England

If it cost God 3.6 Billion Pounds to create the Universe Gordon Brown would still tax him till it hurts.

Bry Barnes, Somerset, Uk

all the best to LHC AND CERN TEAM....GOOD WORK GUYS.

Sreelakshmi, INDIA

Sreelakshmi, hyd, india

The species is on the verge of possibly discovering some of the most elusive fundamentals of the behaviour of the universe and many Chicken Littles are screaming that the sky is falling. Has it not always been so?

Edwin Turner, Garrison, Texas, USA

It can lead to Clean Fuel-> Clean Earth -> Longer we live. I am worh it... Are you ?

pramod, hyderabad, india

Qaz, you need to stop reading the tabloids ;-)

Stu, London,

At last money spent on science not war good luck CERN team

jason, cleveleys, uk

I am really scared, what if a black hole is created during these tests and and earth is destroyed. Are the results of these tests that significant that the possible extinction of the human race is of no concern. STOP TRYING TO PLAY GOD!!!!!!!!

Scott Lyth, Ellesmere Port, England

The real story of how the Universe began will be a much more fascinating than the fairy tales religion offers. I for one can't wait to hear of the results of these essential experiments. These are exciting times!!

tim, warwick,

rats! we're al sill here and not a bison in sight, Higg's or otherwise

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

itz a fantastic experiment that man ever do! hope it would be more useful for mankind! just trust the human's superb knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kurmarao kondala, visakhapatnam, india

The world is the world, how we treat it is destroying it, if this doesn't kill us in years too come the way we treat the plannet will, if life is meant to come to an end let it be, its fate. Whats more stronger a machine or the universe?

Amy Kelway, Wisbech, England

someone famously said that this experiment would either end all life, ever, or would produce something no one understand, furthering neither the cost of evolution nor God

Daniel Bright, London Essex, UK

Hey ,Thats really Cool ......
Its time of Moving ahead................
I know that we will WIN
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FROM ALL OF US.

Yogita, Pune, India

stop doning i am worried i will die stop the LHC NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

qaz, chelsmford, england

Can they take some of the energy generated and divert it to help heat my house? It's freezing in the winter and the fuel bills seem to have doubled

iain, bedford, uk

if the final outcome of attaining the "God particle" concludes, thus we could all coin the term "it cost God 3.6 Billion Pounds to create the universe". how assuring...

amin, selangor, malaysia