This will end well: Scientists Create and Capture Antimatter

...Either end well or, you know, destroy the Earth

Scientists working on the big bang machine in Geneva have done the seemingly impossible: create, capture and release antimatter. Trapping any form of antimatter is difficult, because as soon as it meets normal matter -- the stuff Earth and everything on it is made out of -- the two annihilate each other in powerful explosions. In a new study, physicists were able to create 38 antihydrogen atoms and preserve each for more than one-tenth of a second. The antihydrogen atoms are composed of a positron (an antimatter electron) orbiting an antiproton nucleus. "We are getting close to the point at which we can do some classes of experiments on the properties of antihydrogen," said Joel Fajans, a University of California, Berkeley professor of physics, and LBNL faculty scientist. "Since no one has been able to make these types of measurements on antimatter atoms at all, it's a good start."

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/17/breakthrough-mysterious-antimatter-created-captured/#ixzz15ekZbd5S

we'll need tom hanks to help us soon

I just hope they don't make the antimatter mad.

The first thing I thought of when I heard this on BBC News was how scared all those folks on the StarShip Enterprise got when there was even the remotest possibility that matter and anti-matter would come into contact with each other.

But then, I figured the results of this "experiment" couldn't be any more disasterous than the announcement that that huge collider was making an attempt to "re-create" the Big Bang (which, by the way, was successful).

It's really just another bunch of f-ups saying "Hey y'all, watch this!" but on a much grander scale.

1988RedT2 wrote: It's really just another bunch of f-ups saying "Hey y'all, watch this!" but on a much grander scale.

what makes them F-ups?

..that or the power problems we currently have go away in a couple of discoveries.

Wouldn't it be nice to tell the Middle East to blow itself all to hell? We just don't care anymore because now we have anti-matter!

basically, the fact that we have mobile telecommunications, electricity, cars that go, or planes that fly is a result of "a bunch of f-ups saying "Hey y'all, watch this!" but on a much grander scale". Theres more I want to say on this topic, but I dont want to be labeled a troller.

It's funny that the article seems to imply that creating anti-matter is part of the breakthrough.

"Scientists working on the big bang machine in Geneva have done the seemingly impossible: create, capture and release antimatter."

Creating it is not hard - it happens all the time in nuclear reactor though pair production for example. It is capturing and releasing that is the hard part.

Pumpkin Escobar wrote: basically, the fact that we have mobile telecommunications, electricity, cars that go, or planes that fly is a result of "a bunch of f-ups saying "Hey y'all, watch this!" but on a much grander scale". Theres more I want to say on this topic, but I dont want to be labeled a troller.

Please share! Just don't be a tool about it.

Agreed

How much longer until the Holodeck is up and running?

I've been living in the Holodeck for years. You lot behave or I'll turn it off, and then you'll all just disappear.

Program! Freeze character named Keith.

Since time does not really exist as a vector... we can theorize that the big bang is caused by next week's collider experiment.

Pfft!

Only 38 atoms of antihydrogen, for a tenth of a second each.

[Clarkson] How hard can it be? [/Clarkson]

Perhaps I am reading too far into other people comments, but I just notice the people who oppose science of this nature are also typically opposed to teaching evolution in schools, the mechanical creation of the universe, and other "blasphemous" topics. If this is not the case, then egg on my face.

Having only a highschool graduates education in physics, I find the study of topics like anti/dark matter, black holes, time-space, quantum mechanics etc FASCINATING. Someone who has devoted themselves to the study of physics on a scale that puts them in a position to work with "the big bang machine" has a stronger understanding of this fascinating science than I will ever dream of having. Most of us probably dont have that level of devotion to anything outside of maybe religion.To call them an "f-up" simply because they may be working in a field you dont care for/understand/believe in is not only ignorant, but borderline insulting.

I wonder if they are working on an anti-miata LOL

itdontmiata

Pumpkin Escobar wrote: Perhaps I am reading too far into other people comments, but I just notice the people who oppose science of this nature are also typically opposed to teaching evolution in schools, the mechanical creation of the universe, and other "blasphemous" topics. If this is not the case, then egg on my face.

No, you pretty much have it square. Many folks who live in imaginary worlds dislike the contradictions of reality. And math. Except for the good stuff it produces like telephones, iPods, medicine and the occasional neoprene dong.

EastCoastMojo wrote: I wonder if they are working on an anti-miata LOL

I think it's just dark miata.

GPS, have you ever done the math on evolution?

Dr. Hess wrote: GPS, have you ever done the math on evolution?

Yup. The jury really isn't still out there on that one. Seriously.

Read The Blind Watchmaker ISBN:0393315703. It is a very comprehensive, well written treatment. I am not a biologist, nor am I as eloquent as the author so I will leave the argument there. The Selfish Gene is also excellent and well written by the same author if you like to read this kind of detail about how things work.

so about those tachyons?

DirtyBird222 wrote: so about those tachyons?

I'm still working on getting my head around that.

I wish Richard Feynman was still alive to explain modern physics to me. I don't have the time to study it for real and the cliff notes take 10yrs to digest. I still love to nip at it though - it fascinates me.