Made to Collide

On one of the news channels the other day, I saw a story about a particle accelerator that just went online in Switzerland this week. Apparently some scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, are trying to replicate the conditions that existed in the universe just after the Big Bang. They're hoping to answer some fundamental questions about our existence (or to at least generate many more).

Now for the fun part: the project's existence has spawned at least one lawsuit from individuals who are concerned that the device could actually create a black hole which might destroy the Earth! Not to worry: CNN reports, "Although physicists acknowledge that the collider could, in theory, create small black holes, they say they do not pose any risk. A study released Friday by CERN scientists explains that any black hole created would be tiny, and would not have enough energy to stick around very long before dissolving."

People are so excited about this that a science writer even created a much-viewed rap song about it on YouTube

I think the best prospect for this is the action movie potential. I figure you can dub it the Genesis Machine, slap Harrison Ford in it, and you've got yourself a whale of a blockbuster.

I wonder if he can speak with a Swiss accent.