The God Particle

Boon or doom? Collider stirs debate

Will the Large Hadron Collider save the world, or destroy it? As the atom-smasher at Europe's CERN research center is readied for its official startup on Wednesday, researchers might wish that the general public was captivated by the quest for the Higgs boson, the search for supersymmetric particles and even the evidence for extra dimensions. The black-hole scenario is even getting its day in court: Critics of the project have called for the suspension of work on the European collider until the scenario receives a more thorough safety review, filing separate legal challenges in U.S. federal court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Just a few hours away. If it is doomsday - we won't have to worry about John and Sarah. If we see the sunrise - back to worrying about our future. We may be screwed anyway.