“COURTS and legal scholars love quoting legal maxims in Latin. One of the most famous is fiat justitia ruat caelum. The phrase is a resolute affirmation of the rule of law. It means “Let justice be done though the heavens fall”.
It was intended as hyperbole. But, ironically, courts may now have to confront these words on literal terms. In various countries, plaintiffs have sought court orders to halt the operation of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, with the most extraordinary of allegations: that the experiment may create a black hole that will devour the Earth.
Up until now, the various lawsuits filed against the LHC have faltered. But if the right kind of claim is filed in the proper court, a judge may soon have to face the question of whether an injunction might be needed to save the world.”
Read more at New Scientist
Wouldent it be loverly if these briliant people would for once take a lesson from the notets of other so called men of knowledge. Albert einstine for one. Who after seeing the distruction and loss of life from one atom bomb. Wept. For mankind and openly appologized. What if this time the warnings are there and these so called smart people are wrong. Too late good night!
Happy birthday Derren.
Can I sue the U.S. Government then to disclose the stage where they produced their “evidence” for the holocaust, the moon landing, and 9/11?
Surely the intention behind the ‘ruat caelum’ bit is that the justice being sought by any lawsuit should be done EVEN IF (in this case) that would result in the earth being devoured by a black hole? If anything, this legal maxim serves the cause of the LHC side, not the worried ones.
What is a simple layman with a love of science to do, what is right? Are we risking everything (quite possibly the only time I’ve ever used this word in its full sense and meaning) to satisfy mans undying thirst for knowledge? My thoughts are this. CERN have arguably the finest minds and expertise to answer this question. I would expect them to be caring, responsible, logical and intelligent enough not to jeopardise the world out of curiosity. On the other hand I find it difficult to extend this trust to our learned friends or the justice system. Although I’m a great believer that nothing is above questioning and quite sure the law would get there in the end, but what would be the cost? Don’t say the earth because as far as I’m concerned Professors Cox and Co has got it covered.
@ Kafjr1313. Smart people are often wrong but the difference here is that the H bomb was designed to devastate and kill. The LHC to my knowledge was not. What I do agree with you is that it would be wrong if anybody used the technology or new found understanding of particle physics discovered at CERN, to kill and destruct in the same way that Einstein’s insight was used against man.
Is ignorance of the basic laws of physic an acceptable excuse in court? The kind of person who would sue to get the LHC shut down is also the kind of person who would sue to get creationism taught in biology class, or to get Obama to release his birth certificate. In other words, a moron.
you can only sue the U.S. govt with permission from itself…seriously!
There is enough energy in a vacuum the size of a shoebox to destroy the universe. The nucleus of an atom has a huge amount of energy. However if energy is conserved, we will need to put the same amount of energy to create a black hole into the hadrons collider. As black holes are created from dying stars giving off nuclear energy we will need enough energy to push two atoms around the collider at such a speed that they will release all of their potential energy. As the atoms sent around the collider need to collide faster than the rate it takes for a star to transform into a black hole, we will need more energy per millisecond to create a black hole with the LHC so people should be worried if we have harnessed as much energy as the sun but until then we should be OK. Also the LHC is a multibillion dollar investment from more multiple countries from around the world, allot of people will be upset if the project doesn’t complete what is was meant to do and these people will likely be in influential positions, so it probably won’t get shut down on the grounds that it will create a black hole.
“M’lud I move that the plaintif is an idiot who watches Colin Fry on cable TV and thinks he is a lemon. I move that the motion is thrown out.”
“Agreed. May he be taken from this place to a place of padded cells and electro shock therapy and be denied Jaffa Cakes”
I am in a silly mood……