Could Mere Operation of The LHC End It For Us Due To The Black Hole Effect?

Safety of particle collisions

Main article: Safety of the Large Hadron Collider

Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on the grounds that high-energy particle collisions performed in the LHC might produce dangerous phenomena, including micro black holes, strangelets, vacuum bubbles and magnetic monopoles.[15] In response to these concerns, the LHC Safety Study Group, a group of independent scientists, performed a safety analysis of the LHC and concluded in a report published in 2003 that there is "no basis for any conceivable threat".[16] In 2008, drawing from new experimental data and theoretical understanding, the LHC Safety Assessment Group (LSAG) published a report updating the 2003 safety review, in which they reaffirmed and extended its conclusions that LHC particle collisions present no danger.[17][18][19] The LSAG report was reviewed and endorsed by CERN’s Scientific Policy Committee (SPC),[20] a group of external scientists that advises CERN’s governing body, its Council.

On 21 March, 2008 a complaint requesting an injunction to halt the LHC's startup was filed by a group of seven concerned individuals against CERN and its American collaborators, the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, before the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii.[22] The plaintiffs demanded an injunction against the LHC's activation for 4 months after issuance of the LHC Safety Assessment Group's (LSAG) most recent safety documentation, and a permanent injunction until the LHC can be demonstrated to be reasonably safe within industry standards.[23] The US Federal Court scheduled trial to begin June 16, 2009.[24] Following the publication of the LSAG report,[17] the US Government called for summary dismissal of the suit against the government defendants, and the court set Sept 2, 2008 for a hearing on the motion.