Machine Check Exception

The Large Hadron Collider reached a major milestone today with the first beam sent down the pipe, but like most interesting things, a lot of the Internet chatter is revolving around fundamental misconceptions.  I’d like to clear those up briefly:

Q: Does this prove the LHC won’t kill everyone?

A: No, this was a 450 GeV beam test without beam-on-beam collisions.  Nothing even close to the LHC design energy was reached.  No new evidence was given on the doomsday question today, as these energies were reached 20 years ago.

Q: So, the LHC will kill us?

A: No, this is a silly idea that keeps getting news play because it sounds like a good science-fiction plot and leverages the evil scientist stereotype for dramatic effect.  The LHC is not going to make new particles as far as the universe is concerned; it is going to make particles in a controlled environment that we probably haven’t documented before.  There is a difference.

Q: Is the LHC awesome?

A: Yes.