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Scientists have successfully switched-on an enormous experiment which will recreate the conditions a few moments after the Big Bang.

The £5 billion machine on the Swiss-French border, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is designed to smash protons together with cataclysmic force, which scientists hope will shed light on fundamental questions in physics.

The controversial project has been a talking point in both scientific and religious circles around the world and at home.

It's one of the biggest and most expensive experiments in human history to attempt to help us to understand how the universe was formed.

 There have been claims that black holes could be created, which could swallow the earth, but most scientists are dismissing this as nonsense.

BBC Leicester's Tony Wadsworth has been talking to two experts and takes a look at whether science should have a say in the creation of life in general and religion in particular.

Large Hadron Collider

Listen: Big Bang Debate

Allan Hayes is a mathematician and a former Leicester University lecturer. He is also the president of Secular Society and trustee of British Humanist Association.

Alison Roche once taught science but these days is the vicar of St. Christopher's Church.

They both join Tony for a chat in the studio.

Allan says science is an important part of our lives and the experiment is essential for us to understand our daily lives:

"It represents enormous co-operation of over two thousand scientist and engineers on top of that, forty countries, so it's the sort of co-operation that we look for between human beings.

"But the main object is to extend our knowledge and then to use it right."

Alison says there isn't really a conflict between religion and science. She says the research is beneficial and the experiment should be seen as such:

"We're talking about two different things. As a Christian I'm interested in who made the world and as a scientist I'm interested in how the world was made. I'm quite happy with the research which suggests  how God created the world, it doesn't suggest that God doesn't exist."

Allan has a complete different viewpoint and says he says God doesn't enter into his mind:

"I don't take it into my view and haven't found evidence of God."

On-going Debate

Alison says science is an act of faith just as religion is.

She explains: "We used to believe all sorts of things like the earth was flat and then some scientists proved it was round and that was thrown out. We discovers things in science all the time and we throw out the old hypothesis and move on to the next one.

"We look at the most evidence we can and we live with that. We learn new things and discover new knowledge.

Allan adds science ideals with complex mathematical theories which are essential for us:

"Religions are gradually changing their views, for example slavery. The Christian church for thousands of years approved slavery which was later opposed.  We're getting an evolution, if I may use the word in religion and in the biological sphere and it's important we shouldn't view science to do with material.

"It's the process of getting investigation accepting that we can't always get the right answer if there isn't one."

Allan says the information we will get will help us in the future:

"Looking ahead, we must not think of the human race as it is now but maybe a million, a billion years from now.

Alison adds: "If it helps make the world a better place then we should work together and be excited about that."

It seems this experiment has fuelled the debate further and raises many questions. But as to whether the scientist behind the project will get any closer to their answers, only time will tell.