Its amazing how many people who know NOTHING about high energy particle physics or the LHC ,or the people who work there or the equipment used blindly SUPPORT the work. They assume that everyone working there must be the best of the best 'cuz they read it online or in New Scientist.
The staff could all be a bunch of drunks,crackheads and incompetent political appointees for all they know.
Remember the whole thing went ka-flooey (the
precise scientific term), because of 30 cents or something worth of solder that some highly trained Phd candidate, scientist or engineer missed!
The project leader was on ABC a few weeks ago and rather blythely reported that the chances of a catastrophic event occuring with a micro-black hole was "only one in 70,000,000". You stand worse chances of winning the lottery!!!!
Bad odds in a horse race but a little too short for interdimensional shenanigans, I Think.
Good luck to 'em (and US) I say,but don't for one minute think that CERN is the pinnacle of objective scientific & engineering excellence with no politics, back-biting and, obdurate stupidity involved.
What makes me so sure?
I did work there or rather was seconded there,for three months examining funding requests, procurement mangement and political liason.
We're all doomed.
