Could CERN Create a Black Hole? Debunking the LHC Black Hole Risk

This Ashram video examines the claim that CERN’s Large Hadron Collider could create a black hole and wipe out the planet. It explains how the LHC works, what a black hole needs to form, and why even in speculative scenarios the danger to Earth is negligible.

Introduction and question framing

The video investigates a persistent fear around the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, asking if high-energy proton collisions could produce a black hole that would destroy Earth. It clarifies the difference between theoretical possibilities and real risk, and situates the discussion in the context of modern particle physics and cosmology.

What the LHC does and how it works

The Large Hadron Collider is described as a 27-kilometer ring that accelerates protons and heavy ions to near light speed, achieving billions of collisions per second. Energies are measured in teraelectronvolts (TeV), and the collider helps recreate conditions present shortly after the Big Bang. Detectors record the resulting spray of particles, allowing physicists to test the Standard Model and search for new phenomena such as dark matter and supersymmetry.

Black hole formation: theory vs reality

The core question is whether particle collisions could concentrate enough energy to form a microscopic black hole. The video discusses the concept of Planck energy, the scale at which quantum gravity effects become relevant, and notes that LHC energies are far below that level. It also covers how extra dimensions, if they exist, could lower effective thresholds, a point some theorists have raised in certain speculative models.

Hawking radiation, stability, and safety

Hawking radiation is presented as a quantum effect that would cause microscopic black holes to evaporate rapidly, making a dangerous, long-lived black hole unlikely. Even if such a hole formed, the emission would occur on tiny timescales, reducing risk. The discussion also covers the possibility that some microscopic black holes could be stabilized in exotic theories, but emphasizes that such scenarios remain speculative and would have observable consequences far sooner than planetary destruction.

Why Earth remains safe

The argument is reinforced by comparing the LHC with natural cosmic ray collisions that happen continuously in Earth’s atmosphere, at energies well beyond the LHC. If black holes could form under those conditions, they would have appeared long ago, which is not the case. The video also explores charged black holes and how electromagnetic forces would interact with ordinary matter, further reducing any catastrophic risk scenario.

Bottom line

Overall, the video argues that while physics allows for theoretical black hole production in highly speculative frameworks, the actual probability is vanishingly small. The LHC is described as a safe, well-regulated instrument aimed at answering fundamental questions about matter, energy, and the structure of the universe.

Takeaway and closing

Viewers are reminded that scientific skepticism is essential, but the risk from CERN’s LHC is not supported by current evidence. The channel also invites support through Patreon to sustain ad-free, evidence-based content.