smoker

Wow, I didn't expect so many relevant replies. I'm used to slashdot, where most replies are flames. Anyway, my aim is not to be perfectly accurate, but to demonstrate the futility of worrying about any black hole the LHC may produce. Specifically replying to timo, All my dimensions were googled, I assumed the black hole didn't move because that would bring other factors into the calculations which weren't relevant to a picosecond event and who in the *real world* cares anyway, the point of mentioning the event horizon is to demonstrate that anything beyond that radius is not inescapably drawn into the BH, I am not allowing for foreign objects, as this is technically a laboratory experiment where external influences are immaterial, and finally please bear in mind this is not a Phd thesis, it is a way of starting the extremely ignorant on the path to being less ignorant. As for the other comments, yes - I agree. I am a trained car mechanic if that helps. swansont - it does say "you're stupid" if the person you are talking to is stupid. Anybody with a brain wouldn't take it so harshly, but the people I'm aiming at would. It's not my fault... Thanks for your time anyway Alan

Heh, thanks ydoaPs. Unfortunately that image doesn't help explain things, it just says "you're stupid". The public like car analogies and as a car exists on a vastly bigger scale than a hair, I thought it would be useful to have an explanation I could demo in the pub. I must admit to not having studied physics since 1982, and that was at the end of high school. But I do possess a certain amount of logical ability, and it is that which provoked my post. What I'm really looking for is some kind of expert assurance that my statement, bears some resemblance to reality. Or am I way off here ?Cheers Alan

Hi all, My question relates to the size of any possible black hole that could possibly be created by the LHC. Please bear in mind that my interest stems from trying to explain the minute scale of the actual interaction to a non scientist. What I'm trying to achieve is an explanation that while not being 100% accurate, is sufficient to allay fears. To this end I have decided to concentrate on the size of the particles involved and possibly the energy. Here's what I've got so far : Assumptions - a proton can be said to have a "size" of approx. 1.0 x 10^{-13} mm a human hair can be said to have a diameter of about 2.0 x 10^{-1} mm the distance between atoms (in silicon, don't know about carbon) is 2.22 x 10^{-17} mm the black hole doesn't move and therefore can only "feed" on anything already within the event horizon. The mass is so tiny as to be unable to gravitationally attract any other particles outside the event horizon. My Hypothesis - In forming a black hole the protons would be compressed into a volume approaching Planck length, which is many many times smaller than the distance between atoms. The Event Horizon radius of such a black hole would be so small as to not affect any neighbouring atoms. Nothing would get "sucked in". So if there were such a black hole resident in the centre of a human hair, you could hold the hair in your hand to no ill effect. It would not destroy the earth. It would not even destroy the hair. The second aspect, that the energy used in the collisions is minute. And the public don't realise how small 1 trillion eV is. For example, 1.2 TeV = 1.92261175 × 10-7 joules A typical electric fence for containing animals produces 10 joules. It is the concentration of the miniscule amount of energy in a miniscule space that gives us the relative power, but that is not earth shattering power. Am I so far off as to be misrepresenting the situation, or would this be "good enough" for the general public ? Cheers Alan