When I was a kid, few words conjured up the fantastical better than antimatter. The idea seemed fanciful: for every type of matter, there was an evil twin with the opposite electrical charge, and if the two came into contact, there would be terrible destructive consequences.
I have it on a mix of songs I can't really share with you (Pandora, restrictions), but like those other songs, it gets stuck in my head and makes me happy pretty much every time.
The other earworms like that on the list (so catchy you can't avoid tapping your foot or humming along) include Outkast's "Rosa Parks", "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, and "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake. I think there might be like 10 post-2000 songs on a playlist of like 125 songs I can't get enough of, but those made the cut.
Yeah, at the Big Bang. I wrote about it! Also, about how little we've collectively produced. And of course, all we can say for sure is that all evidence makes it look as though a ridiculous amount of antimatter was created during the Big Bang... then instantly annihilated, except for that one part in a billion that makes us (and the universe) up.
I love it when you bring some (deep, science-y) thing to our attention and just sort of remind us about it and walk away. So thanks for putting this one on the table!
I've got 3 unrelated observations:
0. You should go easier on physicists, they've got a tough job naming all the concepts in their infinite hall of symmetries. Small wonder they go for an easy-to-apply, open-ended naming convention. The positronic equivalent of an antiproton, for example, might be a "negiton". This doesn't seem to have caught on in the real world.
For this to make sense, all you have to understand is that "time" at the quantum level has nothing to do with macroscopic "cause" and "effect". Umm... "when I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more, nor less"
Bob, these are excellent observations and add value to the discussion at hand. I'm glad you're here to be a part of all this!
RE item # zero, I kind of have a running joke with my readers (mainly with myself, really) where I bust the balls of physicists, artists, and jiu jitsu folks who are just THE WORST at naming things. It's mainly there for my personal gratification, and no physicists were harmed in the making of my harmless joke... or at least, that's my hope!
RE item 2, I'm familiar with Feynman's assertion, and it's a very good idea. How familiar are you with Wheeler's Single Electron Theory? Such fun.
I hadn’t heard about single electron theory, took a look… It seems a fun, catnip kind of idea, but not comprehensive (and not intended to be). Does explain same mass / same charge, might explain what antimatter is, but doesn’t seem to have a good explanation for matter/antimatter annihilation. E.g, what happens to the one electron when we observe it being annihilated? And being annihilated at many different points in spacetime?
I think Star Trek might be one of the earliest memories I have, but I'm pretty confident a lot of the comic books I read featured antimatter prominently. Here's the first appearance of a Green Lantern enemy called Antimatter: https://www.ebay.com/itm/156258529457?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28
I can hear Scotty ranting about antimatter and dilithium crystals! In my head at least. TV time was limited in my house until Space 1999 which my parents strangely let me watch. Did you ever watch Picard?
I don't *think* I ever watched Space 1999, but I definitely loved Picard (the character) in TNG, and think back on watching the initial run of that show with my parents - that was rare! I haven't seen the new series yet, though.
Let me know about Picard for sure! I think we're at like max bandwidth right now with all the other very good TV on (HoTD and the new season of The Boys are near the top).
I really might have seen Space 1999. I have very big gaps in my memory before like age 13.
I'm definitly pro-matter.
PLEASE tell me you're already telling this joke to your kids!
Fun fact: Antimatter costs $62.5 trillion per gram. World economy: $100 trillion
So you're saying we would have $37.5 trillion left over? Sign us up!
My matter brings antimatter to the yard,
And it's like, "I'm your mirror at large."
"Damn right, a reflection at large."
"I could reach you, but I'd lose the charge."
I need help.
Kelis has an absolutely phenomenal song called "Bossy." It's a lot better than "Milkshake." Check it out!
I shall heed your advice and give it a listen.
I have it on a mix of songs I can't really share with you (Pandora, restrictions), but like those other songs, it gets stuck in my head and makes me happy pretty much every time.
Just gave it a listen - catchy track for sure!
The other earworms like that on the list (so catchy you can't avoid tapping your foot or humming along) include Outkast's "Rosa Parks", "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, and "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake. I think there might be like 10 post-2000 songs on a playlist of like 125 songs I can't get enough of, but those made the cut.
All the classics!
All the antimatter that's ever been made would fit on the head of a pin. (Don't ask me to prove that).
Good joke about electron spin:
Imagine a ball that's spinning. Except that it's not a ball, and it's not spinning.
Technically, there was a LOT more antimatter made a VERY long time ago, but I appreciate this joke very much!
at the Big Bang, you mean?
I’ve heard that. I don’t know if it’s true, but I’m no expert.
Yeah, at the Big Bang. I wrote about it! Also, about how little we've collectively produced. And of course, all we can say for sure is that all evidence makes it look as though a ridiculous amount of antimatter was created during the Big Bang... then instantly annihilated, except for that one part in a billion that makes us (and the universe) up.
Yes Andrew, you do matter. Antimatter too. 😂
Dad, that joke was positively hilarious!
Thanks for this read!
I love it when you bring some (deep, science-y) thing to our attention and just sort of remind us about it and walk away. So thanks for putting this one on the table!
I've got 3 unrelated observations:
0. You should go easier on physicists, they've got a tough job naming all the concepts in their infinite hall of symmetries. Small wonder they go for an easy-to-apply, open-ended naming convention. The positronic equivalent of an antiproton, for example, might be a "negiton". This doesn't seem to have caught on in the real world.
1. For me, black holes were an even more evocative sci-fi concept, though, agreed, anti-matter was right up there. See: Niven, Larry https://www.larryniven.net/?q=how-to-explore-known-space
2. Richard Feynman thought a positron ("antielectron") was just an electron moving backwards in time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron
For this to make sense, all you have to understand is that "time" at the quantum level has nothing to do with macroscopic "cause" and "effect". Umm... "when I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more, nor less"
Bob, these are excellent observations and add value to the discussion at hand. I'm glad you're here to be a part of all this!
RE item # zero, I kind of have a running joke with my readers (mainly with myself, really) where I bust the balls of physicists, artists, and jiu jitsu folks who are just THE WORST at naming things. It's mainly there for my personal gratification, and no physicists were harmed in the making of my harmless joke... or at least, that's my hope!
RE item 2, I'm familiar with Feynman's assertion, and it's a very good idea. How familiar are you with Wheeler's Single Electron Theory? Such fun.
These days, I mostly think about QFT.
I hadn’t heard about single electron theory, took a look… It seems a fun, catnip kind of idea, but not comprehensive (and not intended to be). Does explain same mass / same charge, might explain what antimatter is, but doesn’t seem to have a good explanation for matter/antimatter annihilation. E.g, what happens to the one electron when we observe it being annihilated? And being annihilated at many different points in spacetime?
Agree - it's really more of a brain-stretcher than a plausible explanation... although hey, they are all identical! Catnip is a good way to put it.
It’s Bob, actually…
Gah! Edited, fixed. Thanks, Bob!
I can’t recall a single movie or book that was big on antimatter 😭 Photons, Lasers, Phasers, Hyper this, Warp that, heckya. What’d I miss?
I think Star Trek might be one of the earliest memories I have, but I'm pretty confident a lot of the comic books I read featured antimatter prominently. Here's the first appearance of a Green Lantern enemy called Antimatter: https://www.ebay.com/itm/156258529457?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28
I can hear Scotty ranting about antimatter and dilithium crystals! In my head at least. TV time was limited in my house until Space 1999 which my parents strangely let me watch. Did you ever watch Picard?
I don't *think* I ever watched Space 1999, but I definitely loved Picard (the character) in TNG, and think back on watching the initial run of that show with my parents - that was rare! I haven't seen the new series yet, though.
Oh you'd remember. I had this model or some variant hanging in my room.
https://www.gerryanderson.com/space1999-eaglemoss-hero-collector-eagles/
Started Picard last night, fell asleep before the first episode was over, not a good sign but it might be me.
Let me know about Picard for sure! I think we're at like max bandwidth right now with all the other very good TV on (HoTD and the new season of The Boys are near the top).
I really might have seen Space 1999. I have very big gaps in my memory before like age 13.
It seems “anti” and “negative” might have more to do with the way we think than the way things are…