Look, I've written a strongly worded email but I'm still very miffed about this. No offense to Jon at all : but whoever started the hoax is a very poor approximation of a human being.

received email:

'My mum told me about this when I arrived home from Mass earlier this evening, and right now I'm very afraid:

About the Large Hadron Collider

It's this machine that involves two beams of extremely high energy colliding just so scientists can recreate the scene of the Big Bang. A number of scientists have fears over this experiment, given that it's carried out underground and that it involves a high amount of energy, but still some others have declared it safe. The first beam of energy was launched today, with the second beam set to be launched in a month's time. Why this experiment is being carried out is so that scientists can see a particular which is called the Higgs boson, otherwise known as the "God-particle". My own personal take on this is that some scientists are using this experiment and playing God; trying to see for themselves that the existence of God can be proved by science and not by His wonders. I've included the following video.

YouTube: Did Nostradamus predict that the LHC will create a black hole?

I guess the best thing that we all can do is to pray. Pray that something goes wrong during this launch of the first beam, and that the scientists will be forced to discontinue with this experiment. I ask you to pray not for yourself, but for the conservation of this earth that God so lovingly created for us 2000 years ago. Please pass this on.

Regards'

This is entirely tosh. The LHC will create a black hole? The faintest beginnings of any putative threat to our planet's existence were immediately squashed by an entire panel of experts who are, I like to think, rather more qualified on the matters of theoretical physics than anybody who believes that the earth was created 2000 years ago. Get out much? Either you tell me you're scientifically credible OR you tell me you're a new earth creationist. Can't have your cake an eat it.

Okay nevermind that, let's leave aside the wrongheaded scientific fear-mongering and get to the religious manipulation. God-particle? Yes, the nobel guy did say that. It was because the Higgs Boson will be, if discovered, the cornerstone of an entire theory of gravity. That doesn't give anybody any leeway Whatsoever to claim some sort of hokum spiritual thingum that scientists are trying (once again) to prove whether God does or does not exists and hence bringing down Eternal Damnation on our poor misguided heads. Obviously a ploy to manipulate the ignorant, of which there are a Frightful Lot.

Please. Hoaxes are funny. Fucking about with religion, and especially your own brand of rather loopy creationism, is not so funny. Do not spread this email.

adam