Wordy Wednesday: Don't forget your 11 Dimensional Glasses

Today, as you no doubt know, an experiment has started 150 metres under Switzerland to recreate the conditions around the time of the "Big Bang" (or "Beeng Bank" as Emilia calls it).

As usual the anti-science brigade, who believe that cell-phone masts give out mystical death rays, were predicting (on their mobiles, no doubt) that this experiment would precipitate the End of the World, either because (a) they're going to make another Beeng Bank, and therefore unleash catastrophic forces, or (b) There's a probability that some black holes will be produced. The latter is apparently correct, but scientists tell us they're nothing to worry about. After all, will anyone notice if Switzerland gets sucked into a black hole?


Predicting the End of the World is a thankless task. Either you're wrong, in which case you look pretty stupid, or you're right, but there's no one left to say "I told you so" to.

There was a physics professor on the telly explaining it all. Or rather, mystifying Emilia and her audience. In the space of 5 minutes, he'd progressed from cosmic forces to dark matter, to talking about 11-dimensional space. All of which is way over my head, so if you were expecting a science lesson, you're out of luck.

Anyway, the experiment started at 10.30am in one European timezone or other, and we're still here. Though as winter draws nearer, it's getting harder to tell whether or not we're in a black hole.

I'm glad, except that I can't get out of writing Wordy Wednesday by claiming that a black hole ate my post. Bugger...