I think David and Carl are confusing hypotheses and speculative theories with soundly established scientific knowledge. At the very frontiers of particle physics and cosmology there are of course conflicting and competing ideas. That's just how it should be. But the basics of the structure of matter and the expansion of the universe are not in dispute, except among way-out eccentrics, conspiracy theorists and religious fundamentalists. - I'm not confused George. I think you are not doing enough basic reading. The structure of matter and expansion of the universe are not in dispute, but the rate of advance in cosmologic physics as shown by the books I quoted and the hairbrained suppositions I've been seeing ( note Magueijo's quote) indicate that the theoreticql folks are just milling about in some confusion and have done so for a number of years. As I believe you have stated I hope the LHC finds the Higgs boson so everyting can move on. For example of weird ideas, Steinhardt and Turok who proposed in 2002 that our universe was a giant membrane with a dark companion membrane infinitesimally close to it and every billions of years they bang togeather and we have a new big Bang. I never saw a supporting followup.

In the previous discussions of the origin of the universe, the Big Bang with and ever expanding universe was treated as a given, as close to an established fact as science can provide. Now it is being called into question. I am not qualified to judge the accuracy of this new information, but it does confirm my skeptical attitude toward any certain knowledge from science. But, again, it's all we have. - Carl is absolutely correct. Two books point out that cosmologic physics research has gone nowhere for the past 30 years. Read "Not Even Wrong, The Failure of String Theory", by Peter Woit, 2006 or "The Trouble With Physics", by Lee Smollin, also 2006, the latter claiming that string/membrane theory leads nowhere and champions quantum loop gravity as the answer. The best comment I have ever found by a cosmologic physicist is in the book, "Faster than the Speed of Light", by Joao Magueijo, 2003. From page 235 onward: "But what we lack in achievement we make up for in panache. Indeed, we not have not one 'final answer'. but at least two, and although no one has the faintest idea how to test these theories with current technology, everyone is quick to claim that he alone holds the holy grail and that the others are all charlatans. The two leading quantum gravity cults are called string theory and quantum loop gravity. Since they don't connect with experiments or observations at all, they have become fashion accessories at best, at worst a source of feudal warfare. Today they constitute two enemy families...." All of this is based on the "beauty" of higher math equations. If the math is beautiful it must be correct in its predictions!! - Of course the scientists should question everything, but untestable theories have taken over, and to repeat, cosmologic physics has been a complete muddle for over 30 years. Another Einsteinian insight is needed.

Personally I rather hope that the Higgs boson is not found, since this will mean that the current "standard model" of particle physics, and associated big bangery, are all wrong and everyone will have to get back to the drawing board. 
> - George: I'm confused. I though the Higgs boson was an offshoot of the 'standard model' and is an expected finding. Penrose appears to agree, but I don't know enough math to follow all his reasoning. And science does advance when everything 'is all wrong', for at least we get rid of a bad side road to the understanding of our reality.


> I too wish the Texas collider had been built. We would have been much further along than we are now. The possible result from the LHC that puzzles me the most is the possibility of more dimensions. I cannot conceive how that would be manifest, or what type of calculations would be involved. - String theory has become such a dead end that the scientists who have a vested interest in it (grants!) are bringing up any possibility of reviving it. Two books: "The Trouble With Physics", by Lee Smolin, 2006 and "Not Even Wrong", by Peter Woit, 2006 make it quite clear that 25 years of advanced math research, looking for a unified theory by string/membrane theory with 10-11 dimensions, is a dead end. It allows for multiple solutions or universes, and is currently untestable, in part because there is nothing to test. It is all higher math theorizing without any physical evidence. It has been attractive becasue it 'seems' to bring together classical and quantum physics.

"If the LHC were to make microscopic black holes, it would be tremendously exciting — and no danger," quote from on scientist on an NBC report on the LHC. - The first thing they'll be looking for is the Higgs boson, the theoretical very large particle, for the proposed Higgs field. I wish the larger Texas collider had been finished, with a 27 mile diameter. It would have found a lot more particle beasties that the LHC will, but this is a great advance, and the results will take years to sort out.