Re: Dangerous Ion Colliding Experiment?

[William Beaty <billb@ESKIMO.COM>]

> > A student approached me after class today to see if I knew about an ion
> > colliding experiment that was supposed to begin today but was cancelled
> > due to a chance of generating a tiny black hole or strange matter.

I vaguely recall seeing this reported in the "Fortean Times" magazine
about a year ago.  It's often difficult to discover how old a rumor might
be.  Perhaps ask the student what "today" means in the message.  If it's
an ancient email-urban-legend, then the message text will say "today" no
matter how many years the message has been in circulation.

The same problem appears in that infamous message about the boy with brain
cancer.  He wants to collect a million postcards, and asks that you mail
him one.  The message was real, but unfortunately carried no termination
date, and it still continues circulating as an "urban legend."  Even
though the boy survived, grew up, and left home, his parents continue to
be innundated by immense numbers of postcards from those who encounter
the ageless original request.


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William J. Beaty                                  SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb@eskimo.com                                  http://www.amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits          science projects, tesla, weird science
Seattle, WA   206-781-3320          freenrg-L taoshum-L vortex-L webhead-L