All right, so get this. We're diving deep into
CERN today and the Large Hadron Collider. Oh,
wow. Yeah, you sent in a remnant radio podcast
episode because you're curious about CERN and
maybe some of the wilder theories about it. Right.
And I have to admit, when I saw this in the queue,
I was like, yes, I want to get into this. It's
definitely captured the imagination of a lot
of people. And it's not hard to see why. I mean,
you have this massive complex machine smashing
particles together at incredible speeds. It's
like science fiction. It is. So before we get
to the theories about other dimensions and all
that, let's just break it down. What is CERN
actually doing? What's the big goal? So at its
core, CERN is trying to understand the fundamental
building blocks of the universe. What are the
smallest particles that make up everything we
see and experience, and how do they interact
with each other? I'm following so far, but how
do you actually study something that small? Yeah.
You can't put it under a microscope, right? Right.
You need something a little more powerful. That's
where the Large Hadron Collider comes in. OK.
So it's a 17 mile long underground ring. where
they accelerate protons to nearly the speed of
light and then smash them together. 17 miles.
Yeah. That's just mind -boggling. It's huge.
But I still don't get how smashing things helps
us understand them. Okay, so think of it this
way. Imagine you have a clock and you want to
know what's inside. Okay. You could try to carefully
take it apart. Right. But what if you just smashed
it against a wall? Okay. You'd have pieces flying
everywhere. Yeah. But you could start to analyze
those pieces. figure out what they were made
of, how they fit together. So CERN is basically
smashing the universe's clock to see what makes
it tick. That's a pretty good analogy. By analyzing
the debris from these collisions, they can detect
new particles, study their properties, and test
theories about how the universe works at the
most fundamental level. Now you mentioned particles,
and that reminds me of something from the podcast,
The God Particle. Shouldn't they discover that
at CERN? Yes, they did. The official name is
the Higgs boson. Okay, it's a particle that gives
other particles mass weight gives other particles
mass. Yes, that sounds kind of well godlike I
can see why people make that connection, right?
But it's important to remember that scientists
use the term God particle as a shorthand Right
not a theological statement. Okay, so back to
the podcast It seems like a lot of people are
worried that CERN is overstepping its bounds
like messing with forces They don't understand.
Yeah, they compare it to the Tower of Babel This
idea of humans reaching too high trying to become
like God. Yeah. Do you think that comparison
holds any weight? I mean, it's understandable
why people draw that parallel. Sure. There's
something inherently awe inspiring about the
scale and ambition of CERN. Yes. But it's important
to remember that CERN is a collaboration of thousands
of scientists from all over the world with diverse
backgrounds and beliefs. But couldn't a small
group within CERN be pushing their own agenda
even if the majority of scientists are unaware?
That's a possibility. But consider this. The
scientific process itself is designed to prevent
that kind of manipulation. Okay. Especially in
a field as complex as particle physics. Research
is rigorously scrutinized, debated, and replicated
by scientists around the world. So you're saying
the peer review process would act as a safeguard
against any hidden agenda. Exactly. Findings
aren't just taken at face value. They have to
be tested, challenged, and independently verified.
Okay, that makes sense. But what about the more
specific claims made in the podcast? Yeah. The
Shiva statue outside CERN, the alleged demonic
faces appearing in the particle collision images.
Those seem pretty concrete, right? Let's take
those one at a time. The Shiva statue is a symbolic
representation of creation and destruction, which
are concepts relevant to particle physics. It
was a gift from India, one of CERN's member states.
It's not unusual for large international collaborations
to include symbolic contributions from different
cultures. So more of a cultural exchange than
a sign of some secret ritual. Exactly. Now about
the demonic faces. The collider produces massive
amounts of data. Trillions of particle collision
images. Yeah. When you have that much data statistically,
you're bound to find patterns that resemble familiar
shapes. Right. Our brains are wired to recognize
faces so we might see them even in random noise.
It's a phenomenon called pareidolia. Like seeing
shapes in clouds? Precisely. It's our brains
trying to make sense of random information. So
maybe not demons, but definitely a lot of data.
More data than any one person could ever process
in a lifetime. That's why CERN relies on powerful
computers and complex algorithms to analyze it
all. And speaking of things that are hard to
process, let's get to the big one, the safety
concerns. Okay. The podcast mentioned worries
about black holes and even another big bang.
Is there any chance that CERN could accidentally
destroy the world? Those concerns are understandable,
but scientists have calculated the energy levels
needed to create a black hole, and CERN is nowhere
near that level. We're talking orders of magnitude
more energy than the collider can produce, and
even if a microscopic black hole were to form
it, it would evaporate almost instantly. So no
risk of getting sucked into a black hole on our
watch? Not from CERN at least. That's good to
know, but what about unintended consequences?
Are there any potential dangers that we haven't
even considered yet? That's always a possibility
when you're exploring the unknown. But CERN has
multiple safety systems in place, and they constantly
monitor their experiments for any unexpected
results. So it sounds like they're taking the
risks seriously. Absolutely. Safety is paramount
in any scientific endeavor, especially one of
this magnitude. All right. We've covered a lot
of ground here. We've talked about what CERN
is trying to achieve, addressed some of the wilder
theories, and even tackled the safety concerns.
But I feel like there's still so much more to
explore. There definitely is. And it's important
to remember that even with all we've learned,
we're still just scratching the surface of understanding
the universe and our place in it. I love that.
And I think that's a perfect segue into the next
part of our deep dive, where we'll delve a little
deeper into the philosophical and spiritual implications
of what Stone is doing. I'm looking forward to
it. Yeah, it really is fascinating to think about
how all of this stuff makes us question our place
in the cosmos. Totally. It's like the more we
learn about the universe, the more we realize
how much we don't know. But before we get too
philosophical, there's something specific from
the Remnant Radio podcast that I really got hung
up on. They talked about how scientists are inherently
resistant to supernatural explanations. Yeah,
that's a fair point. I mean, the scientific method
is built on the idea of finding natural causes
for phenomena. Right. It's not that scientists
are, you know, closed minded to the possibility
of something beyond the natural world. Yeah.
But their training and their methodology like
naturally leads them to seek explanations within
the framework of the known laws of physics. So
it's not about rejecting the supernatural, but
rather prioritizing the search for natural explanations
first. Exactly. It's about following the evidence
where it leads. OK, so the podcast also brought
up this idea of like the correlation of the weird.
Where people tend to lump all the things they
don't understand together. Like CERN is weird,
quantum physics is weird, therefore they must
be connected somehow. Yeah, it's a cognitive
bias. Our brains crave patterns and connections.
When we encounter something unfamiliar, we try
to make sense of it by relating it to other unfamiliar
things, even if there's no logical link. So when
people hear about CERN smashing particles at
nearly the speed of light, creating these incredibly
high -energy events, it's easy for their minds
to jump to things like portals to other dimensions
or the release of unknown forces. Especially
when you consider the visual imagery associated
with these experiments. Right. the collision
images with their streaks of light and particle
tracks, it can look otherworldly and mysterious.
It's almost like looking into the heart of creation,
you know, this raw energy that existed at the
very beginning of the universe. Yeah, and that
sense of mystery can be both alluring and unsettling.
Right. It makes us question... what we know,
what we believe, what's truly possible. Now you
mentioned that CERN is this massive international
collaboration. The podcast guest made a point
about the sheer number of people involved, arguing
that it would be nearly impossible to keep a
secret agenda under wraps with so many scientists
from so many different countries. Right, that's
an argument often used to debunk conspiracy theories.
Yeah. And it does make you wonder, would it be
possible to maintain a unified secret goal across
such a diverse group of people? especially in
the scientific community where transparency and
open communication are so highly valued. Right.
And yet there are historical examples of large
-scale scientific projects with classified aspects.
Oh, like what? The Manhattan Project, which developed
the atomic bomb, is a prime example. That's true.
So while the sheer size and diversity of CERN's
team might make a coordinated conspiracy less
likely, it's not entirely impossible. We should
always be open to questioning and investigating,
even when claims seem far -fetched. But at the
same time, we have to be careful not to fall
into the trap of confirmation bias, right? Yes.
Seeing only what we want to see and ignoring
evidence that contradicts our beliefs. Exactly.
Critical thinking is essential, especially when
dealing with complex and controversial topics
like this. OK, so let's shift gears a bit and
talk about the ethical considerations surrounding
CERN. OK. Even if we set aside the more outlandish
fears, are there any legitimate concerns about
the potential consequences of this kind of research?
Well, the podcast guest, you know, who is a quantum
physicist turned pastor, he argued that particle
physics doesn't carry the same immediate ethical
baggage as feels like genetics or artificial
intelligence. Right. You know, smashing protons
together doesn't raise the same kinds of moral
dilemmas as... manipulating human genes or creating
sentient machines. That makes sense. But even
so, there's always a risk of unintended consequences
when we delve into the unknown. And with something
as powerful as the Large Hadron Collider, it's
understandable that people would have questions
about safety and the potential for things to
go wrong. Absolutely. And that's why open communication
and transparency are so crucial. Scientists have
a responsibility to explain their work to the
public, to address concerns and to engage in
dialogue about the potential risks and benefits
of their research. It's not just about doing
the science, it's about making sure that science
is done ethically and responsibly. Exactly, and
that involves listening to concerns, considering
different perspectives, and engaging in open
and honest conversations about the implications
of scientific discoveries. Speaking of implications,
one of the most fascinating things about CERN
is how it challenges our understanding of the
universe and our place in it. The podcast touched
on the idea of a shared sense of awe and wonder,
both for scientists and people of faith. It's
that sense of encountering something larger than
ourselves, something that inspires both curiosity
and humility. Scientists are driven by a desire
to understand the universe, to unravel its mysteries,
and for people of faith, that same universe can
be seen as a testament to the power and creativity
of a divine creator. So instead of seeing science
and faith as being at odds, what if we viewed
them as complementary ways of exploring the same
amazing reality? That's a beautiful thought and
it's something that really resonated with me
from the podcast. The idea that we can appreciate
both the scientific explanations and the spiritual
significance of the universe. We can marvel at
the intricate laws of physics that govern the
cosmos and still stand in awe of the mystery
and beauty of creation. It's like we're all looking
at the same tapestry but from different angles.
Yeah, and each perspective can enrich our understanding
and appreciation of the whole. Yeah, it's like
we're all pieces of the same puzzle trying to
figure out where we fit in and CERN in its own
way is helping us to put that puzzle together.
Giving us a glimpse into the fundamental nature
of reality, showing us how the universe is constructed
at its most basic level. You know, the podcast
guest also said something that really made me
think. He suggested that instead of trying to
explain away the supernatural as simply undiscovered
science, we should like embrace the mystery and
transcendence of the spiritual realm. He argued
that, you know, trying to reduce miracles to
quantum physics or explain spiritual experiences
through neuroscience actually diminishes their
power. wonder, you know, it limits our understanding
of God to the confines of what we can currently
measure and observe. It's like we're trying to
fit the infinite into a finite box. Exactly and
in doing so we might miss the bigger picture,
the deeper meaning that lies beyond the realm
of scientific explanation. It reminds me of that
quote by Albert Einstein, the most beautiful
thing we can experience is the mysterious. It
is the source of all true art and science. That's
a perfect way to put it, the sense of mystery
of the unknown. It's what drives us to explore,
to question. to seek understanding. And that's
true whether we're talking about science faith
or any other aspect of human experience. So instead
of fearing the unknown, what if we embraced it?
What if we allowed ourselves to be humbled by
the vastness of the universe and the limits of
our own understanding? What if we saw the things
we don't understand not as threats, but as invitations
to delve deeper, to expand our minds, to consider
possibilities beyond our current comprehension?
It's a shift in perspective from trying to control
and explain everything to acknowledging that
there are faces at play that we may never fully
grasp. And that's okay. In fact, it's more than
okay. It's what makes life so fascinating. It's
what keeps us curious, what drives us to seek
knowledge, what inspires us to connect with something
larger than ourselves. So to bring it back to
CERN and all the theories swirling around it,
maybe it's not about finding definitive answers,
but rather about asking the right questions.
About pushing the boundaries of human knowledge
while also acknowledging the limits of that knowledge.
About marveling at the incredible complexity
of the universe while also recognizing the mystery
that lies at its heart. And ultimately about
recognizing that both science and faith can contribute
to our understanding of who we are and where
we fit in the grand scheme of things. I think
that's a beautiful way to sum up our deep dive
into the world of CERN and the Large Hadron Collider.
We didn't find any demonic portals or evidence
of a secret society trying to rewrite the laws
of physics. Right. But we did uncover a wealth
of fascinating information, sparking thought
-provoking discussions about science, faith,
and the very nature of reality. We explored the
incredible achievements of CERN, the potential
risks and ethical considerations, and the philosophical
implications of delving into the unknown. And
we considered how both science and faith can
offer us different lenses through which to view
the universe and our place within it. So to you,
our listener, we hope this deep dive has been
a valuable journey. Maybe it's answered some
of your questions, maybe it's raised even more.
But most importantly, we hope it sparked your
curiosity, encouraged you to think critically,
and inspired you to keep exploring the wonders
of the universe and the mysteries that lie beyond
our current understanding. Keep asking questions,
keep seeking knowledge, and keep sharing your
insights with the world. Because the more we
learn, the more we realize how much more there
is to discover. And that's what makes this journey
called life so incredibly exciting.