What are the benefits of the LHC

Question

I'm sorry if there are many mistakes, I'm still learning English, but anyways my question is:

Many people say that turning on the LHC could destroy Earth, or at least all life on it, but I wonder, even if that's remotely true, is it enough excuse to turn it on?

That's why I want to know what are exactly the benefits of turning it on, what would we learn from it, that would make it so valuable like to risk humanity?

I am just curious, thanks :)

Answer 1

While some think there is a possibility of creating micro-black holes, the chances are extremely remote and even if it happened, they would be smaller than a proton, so small they would either evaporate immediately, or would pass through the Earth without hitting anything.



Although the energy achieved by the particle beams sounds immense, particles hit the atmosphere every day which are much more energetic. On October 15, 1991, the Fly's Eye in Utah detected a proton (called the OMG particle) with an energy of 3.2±0.9e20 ev. By comparison, the LHC will collide particles at 1.4e13 ev -- 20 million times less.



The LHC is much, much, much less dangerous than to have built tens of thousands of thermonuclear warheads, which are now at risk of falling into terrorists hands.



As far benefits, think of how much scientific research has led directly to tremendous advances in medicine (X-rays, CAT scans, PET scans), agriculture, and countless other achievements that save and extend lives, and make life easier, not to mention the ability for us to communicate like this.

Answer 2

it was built to study very small particles under the conditions of the early universe.

Answer 3

They're trying to find the "God particle", the Higgs boson that represents mass, and therefore inertia in all matter.  I suppose its just abstract knowledge, since we won't be able to actually manipulate such forces for centuries at least.  The LHC has no chance of destroying the earth, anway, since cosmic rays have been bombarding the earth for billions of years, and they have far more energy than anything the LHC can produce.  Especially the untra-high-energy cosmic rays.