Monday, September 04, 2006

Epic Voyage-The LHC Journey



Couldn't help noticing Lubos's recent article on his blog Frame of Reference, called, "Epic Vessel." Now of course, if presented new opportunities to express ourselves. why does it have to be the way Lubos speaks, about vision being the sea of ignorance, and being limited only by our education?

There is enough information out there now to tell us what preconcieved notions had postulated the means to verification, where now the man on the street may ask, what use this information?

Is it wrong to "think ahead" gaining insight from all that has gone on before us, as we now wait patiently, as so many scientists wait to see, what new lands are discovered.

Susskind, who also appeared in the media with his Strange But True description of the Planck temperature on Thursday, compares the current situation in physics to the late 15th century in which the Atlantic sea of ignorance - analogous to those 15 orders of magnitude of ignorance at the energy scale - became irresistable for curious adventurers.


As soon as I seen this reference to Susskind, and the tile of the post by Lubos I was immediately reminded of John Ellis's article in Symmetry. Now, we have to pay for the article linked by Lubos, so hopefully we will find a way to see what words had been written by Susskind, by the inferences of others.

Times Higher Education Supplement (subscription required) called, Hold fire! This epic vessel has only just set sail...

Of course I recogize Lubos's poinst about the persecution of string/M theory, whilst the brave make their way, ahead of others as they build for the future some comprehensive understanding and means to investigate the New Reality?


The Worldwide particle physics commuity is about to set sail on a voyage into a new world of discovery. The large Hadron Collider, a multi-billion-dollar that begins operations in Europe in 2007, will take us into new relams of energy, space time, and symmetry.

Entering new territory like Christopher Columbus, we have good reasons to think that these new realms conatin"new physics"-a world beuond the Old World of Fundamental particles and forces. Like Columbus, we have expectations about where our journey made lead us. And like Columbus, we do not know how far away the New World may lie, an dour preconceptions may well be completely wrong.


Now why this is of some interest is because of the way the thoughts are held to "maiden voyages", and in this sense, this voyage is a precursor to what we will find after a coniderable length of time, prepping for what the LHC is going to tell us.

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