4 ms·
The LHC and thermonuclear bombs don't usually reproduce themselves though, keeping the risk relatively contained.
by markus92 7y ago
The LHC and thermonuclear bombs don't usually reproduce themselves though, keeping the risk relatively contained.
- red75prime 7y agoIn this case it's "specifically designed to not reproduce". Hybrid vigor isn't extinction level threat. And evolution of population to be averse to sterile males is hardly unexpected.
- funklute 7y agoPeople didn't know that for sure - there was actually a fear that thermonuclear bombs would ignite the atmosphere and turn us into a sun.
- yesenadam 7y agoI remember reading a Feynman story where he was given the job of checking the calculations about that, and asking what if he made a mistake, was told not to worry, as no-one would ever find out. I googled for that but first found this article, which has a range of quotes about those fears from physicists, and some of the chemistry/physics of the actual fusion reactions people thought might happen. I hadn't read about that before - like the nitrogen in the atmosphere turning to magnesium! etc.. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2015/ph241/chung1/ http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2015/ph241/chung1/