On September 10, 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), arguably one of
the most complex human-made artifacts ever assembled, was switched
on for the first time. Designed and built by the European Organization for
Nuclear Research (CERN), the LHC has prompted a bizarre, fearful,
and ultimately unwarranted reaction.
Condemnatory remarks filled the comments section of blog posts and
media articles on the web. Powerful news broadcasters such as CNN,
Fox News, and CNBC covered the LHC, questioning its safety and validity.
Naysayers all around the world decried the activation of the colossal
apparatus and admonished everyone else trying to make sense out of the
situation. Reports from India informed of a 16-year-old girl committing
suicide because of the apocalyptic visions surrounding the LHC.
However, the world did not end when the scientists flicked the switch.
Putting things in perspective, it becomes abundantly clear that the reason
behind the media frenzy and the public’s obsession with the LHC lies in
the following statement: We are fearful of the unknown. No one knew for
sure what was going to happen when protons collided at inconceivable
speeds once the LHC ran its first official test. Would we discover the
elusive Higgs boson particle (affectionally known as the “God Particle”,
because it supposedly provides mass to all other particles)?
Would scientists inadvertently create a black hole that would engulf the
Earth? Or would the LHC end up being nothing more than a gigantic waste
of time and resources? After all, the project has around 10,000 scientists
and engineers around the world, totaling an estimated 8 billion dollars
in overall construction costs.
Evidently, there are lots of questions but only a few answers. However,
I think the time is ripe to highlight another equally interesting situation.
The LHC has taught me that the medium used to spread fear is just as
influential as fearing what’s new and unknown, and should be thought
about to some extent. In this case, the web took a crucial role in creating
and disseminating false theories.
Since CERN took a somewhat passive position in publicizing and
explaining the benefits of the LHC, the internet took matters into its
own hands. The result? Mischaracterizations of the intended goal and
functions of the LHC proliferated really, really fast.
Not everything has been pessimistic and unpleasant, though.
CERN’s scientists, after watching the unbridled public backslash, came up
with the amusing “Large Hadron Rap.” Although the video is a nice attempt to
instill some truth in the general population, the educational value of the
clip is questionable at best. Despite that, CERN’s attempt is praiseworthy
if not entirely anachronistic.
More often than not, unfounded apprehension can render the mind
receptive and malleable. Pair this with our online culture and the detestable
outcome is kids committing suicide out of intense fear. Since our world is
highly interconnected now, wild theories and crazy ideas spread as fast
as — if not faster than — facts. Unfortunately, this is yet another negative
byproduct of highly-linked societies. We must learn how to deal.
After the writing of this piece, the LHC suffered a helium leak and will remain
offline for at least two months.