Microscopic black holes that will consume the Earth? Portals to an alternate dimension? Rarely do scientific experiments gain as much fame or notoriety as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has received in the past month. This international project located on the Swiss-French border has been the subject of numerous apocalyptic scenarios that make it sound more like a science-fiction movie than an experiment in particle physics. The fear of a world-ending event has led to lawsuits filed in both American and European courts and even an attempted hacking.

The LHC began operation Sept. 10 without the appearance of a single horseman of the apocalypse. This result should not be surprising. The LHC has been in design and construction for more than two decades with numerous studies of possible safety concerns. The latest review was completed last spring when scientists examined everything from microscopic black holes to exotic particles called strangelets. They concluded that operation of the LHC ‘presented no danger.’

The focus on the planetary danger posed by the LHC is quite different from traditional criticisms of these types of projects. At seventeen miles in length, the LHC is one of the largest pieces of scientific equipment in the world. That size comes with quite a price tag; estimated to be nearly $10 billion more than the course of the project. This includes more than $500 million contributed by U.S. agencies such as the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation. Its only natural to ask the question: Is this worth the cost?

Scientists and researchers have been subject to this question posed in a thousand different ways. Why study the heavens if we cannot even leave our planet? Who cares about finding a grand unified theory of everything when there are so many more urgent problems to address? Ask anyone about the problems that face this world and see if any of them list finding the Higgs boson.

The critique of fundamental science is ignorant of the history of technological progress. Numerous scientific advancements that improve our lives today were practically useless when first discovered or created. The steam engine that powered the industrial revolution was invented by Roman engineer Hero of Alexandria in the first century B.C. The ubiquitous cell phone can trace its roots to radiotelephones used by ships in the 1920s. Even the history of DNA dates back to the late 1860s when a young Swiss scientist named Johann Miescher isolated a strange material from the pus on surgical bandages.

It took decades and centuries before the true potential of these discoveries and inventions were fully realized. Money spent on fundamental research on subjects ranging from astronomy to biology is best viewed as an investment in the future. In the same way that it would be reckless to never save for retirement, the world would be ill-prepared for future problems if we did not fund such scientific endeavors today.

The Large Hadron Collider is one of many scientific projects that fulfill this role. It’s size and level of participation, which includes 1,600 people from the U.S., makes it one of the most notable experiments in the world. While this project is quite costly and has been long delayed, it will continue paying dividends long into the future.

Reach columnist Mike Noon at opinion@dailyuw.com.