[Nets]

Smith, that wasn't directed at you I was just joking around. No offense intended.

[Smith 2.0]

I assumed as much.

[Andres]

what would you estimate the chances of finding the Higgs is, and what would you estimate the chances of creating a dangerous black hole are? They both rest on solid physics, right?

The chances of finding the Higgs boson is pretty good considering the success of the Standard Model (a theory that can make accurate predictions to more than 10 significant figures), and that the Higgs is an intrical part of the theory. The chances of creating dangerous black holes are slim to none according to that same theory. Some figures are bandied around, but it's like calculating the probability that aliens will arrive on Earth tomorrow.

There's no intrinsic reason to pursue all knowledge for it's own sake.

That's a valid argument against spending 8 billion dollars on the project. Fear of black holes is not.

Any suggestions for further reading then?

A First Course in General Relativity by Bernard F. Schutz
An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory by Michael E. Peskin and Dan V. Schroeder
String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction by Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker, and John H. Schwarz

[Unperson-K]

I think the intelligence of these people can be gauged by the fact that they are attempting to use a US district court in Hawaii to stop an intra-governmental European organisation with its base in Geneva. They clearly are not the sharpest nails in the box.