Review of Long-Term Black Hole Risks

[nutcracker]

I love your new nickname, by the way.

[/quote]
It reminds me of that old Hawkwind song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFPLgGWMndc

[CharmQuark]

We discussed magnetic fields in neutron stars, and reached the conclusion that they should have trapped black holes regardless of that. However, the people who reached this conclusion acknowledged the fact that this educated assumption could very well be wrong. So while it makes me feel better, it would be even more great to find additional information on the subject and to address the issue of white dwarfs as well.

It's definitely important to remind ourselves that we're going to be alive after the collisions 5 days from now, and not eaten by strangelets, magnetic holes, vacuum bubbles, chain reaction, black holes, something unknown, hungry whales etc. I love your new nickname, by the way.

Stephen it pleases me so much when you say you are feeling better and yes we will still be alive in 5 days time have to be anyways i bought myself Exploring The Mystery Of MATTER the ATLAS Experiment \o/ that need to be read hehehe as well as why does E=mc^2 and i have the War of the Worlds on CD to listen to so much to do so much to look forward to aswell remember keep smiling and think it's nearly my birthday and i am pleased you like my new nickname

[Kasuha]

E=cm^2

Is that about photovoltaics?

[CharmQuark]

E=cm^2

Is that about photovoltaics?

sometimes i think i need a good for all the typos i make

[CharmQuark]

I swear i should win an award for my bloody typos E=mc^2 better

[Stephen]

For anyone interested, I found out that white dwarfs and neutron stars are only partly protected by their large magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are indeed helpful in preventing some cosmic rays from harming these stars, but other cosmic rays still manage to penetrate these fields. Basically, it all depends on the energy of the cosmic rays compared to the strength of the magnetic fields. If dangerous black holes or any other objects could be produced by cosmic rays, magnetic fields wouldn't be enough to prevent neutron stars and white dwarfs from being destroyed throughout millions of years.

[Shadowdraxx]

For anyone interested, I found out that white dwarfs and neutron stars are only partly protected by their large magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are indeed helpful in preventing some cosmic rays from harming these stars, but other cosmic rays still manage to penetrate these fields. Basically, it all depends on the energy of the cosmic rays compared to the strength of the magnetic fields. If dangerous black holes or any other objects could be produced by cosmic rays, magnetic fields wouldn't be enough to prevent neutron stars and white dwarfs from being destroyed throughout millions of years.

So how are you finding things atm? did you have the chance to find all the answers you were looking for?

[Stephen]

I talked to physicists who answered all of my questions.

[Shadowdraxx]

[/color]

I talked to physicists who answered all of my questions.

Has it helped? do you feel that you are in a better position not to be so worried?

I ask out of my own personal experience really

[Stephen]

I definitely feel more calm after professors reassure me over the phone.

[Shadowdraxx]

ahh that's nice to hear matie

[BTP]

Came on Danny the poor guy is scared stiff......... he can't help feeling like this.........and yes it has been explained to him over and over again, but maybe he just don't understand enough physics to get a grip on things.......must be really horrible for him..........

And you do completely understand the physics of this to the point where you can, say, come up with a value of probability that something catastrophic could/could not happen here?

I doubt it. Because if you/we did know enough about the physics of this stuff we wouldn't need to build the thing in the first place. But if you can, then please give us aa estimate.

I'm not, by the way, suggesting that it is not safe. Or that it will suck this corner of the known universe beyond some kind of event horizon.

But I have yet to find a risk analysis that attempts any kind of quantification of the risks in a truly objective way. Mostly, it's just one group of physicists claiming that the arguments of another group of physicists are "illogical" or "inconsistent". That's not a true risk analysis.

Insurance companies compute risk as the cost of an event occuring multiplied by the probability of that occurence. The cost of the earth being sucked up its own backside would be infinity. What's the probability? 10 ^ -9? 10^-12? 10^-30

Still leaves a pretty big number...