Seriousness Too many positrons

jgray · 04-06-2009, 01:13 AM

I was reading a news story a few days ago about some folks who had been studying cosmic rays. As part of this study, they were counting electrons and positrons (antimatter electrons). It seems that they are getting way too many positrons than they expected. Supposedly, this excess of positrons may be an indication of dark matter. However, I have a better explaination.

In an alternate reality (The End of Eternity), humans on extraterrestrial colonies are destroying all of their robots, so humanity does not wind up slaves to their technology (The Robots of Dawn and others). Since these robots have positronic brains, this explains the excess of positrons that is bombarding the Earth.

Yes, I am weird

When I read the news story, I actually did think of positronic brains. I must have read too much Asimov in my youth.

Gaurnim · 04-06-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgray

Yes, I am weird

When I read the news story, I actually did think of positronic brains. I must have read too much Asimov in my youth.

You might find it reassuring that it is also the first thing that I was thinking about when I saw the thread title.
In fact, I was even disappointed when I saw that it was at first about real-world positrons

MickeyC · 04-06-2009, 02:07 PM

Interesting to note, they have finally figured out what dark mater is and where it's located. Turns out it's all the stuff that's fallen behind peoples' refrigerators.

krisk · 04-06-2009, 03:56 PM

I feel lost in Golden compass allusions.

DixieGal · 04-06-2009, 04:07 PM

Kris, please tell me you have done your prerequisite reading of the Asimov canon. The Foundation series is required reading. What are they teaching you kids today anyway?

Krystian Galaj · 04-06-2009, 04:41 PM

I found Asimov's Foundation series deadly boring though.

DixieGal · 04-06-2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

I found Asimov's Foundation series deadly boring though.

Maybe so, but do you think it sort of set the scene for scifi? Galaxy-wide empires, vast stretches of time, and so on?

krisk · 04-06-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Kris, please tell me you have done your prerequisite reading of the Asimov canon. The Foundation series is required reading. What are they teaching you kids today anyway?

When I was about 11 or 12 and that was a looooong time ago!

jgray · 04-06-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaurnim

You might find it reassuring that it is also the first thing that I was thinking about when I saw the thread title.
In fact, I was even disappointed when I saw that it was at first about real-world positrons

Oh, good. I'm not the only one. Now you and I can discuss the Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline

Krystian Galaj · 04-08-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Maybe so, but do you think it sort of set the scene for scifi? Galaxy-wide empires, vast stretches of time, and so on?

It might have. I read many stories by Robert A. Heinlein that were written before 1951 (when first Foundation came out), and they were great - but they never spanned vast empires or millenia. I know of other series written as early as 17 years before (Lensman comes to mind), but Asimov might have been the first to write such a long-term history. I still have lots of classics to read.

Daithi · 04-09-2009, 06:17 PM

Is there a link to the positron article?

My understanding of why there are more electrons than positrons is due to a symmetry break, which can be explained by a great analogy. Suppose a hundred people sit down at a circular dinner table. There is a plate in front of them and a glass of water midway between their plate and the plates on either side of them. As soon as one person selects a glass of water, either to their left or right (the symmetry break), it forces everyone else at the table to use the glass of water on the same side as the first individual selected. It is theorized that particles created near other particles are all connected or entangled (like a big round dinner table) and this is why our world is predominated by electrons and matter instead of positrons and anti-matter. I'm not exactly sure how this applies to dark matter, so I'd be interested in reading the article.

jgray · 04-09-2009, 08:55 PM

I don't have the link to the article I originally read, but Wired has a good summary:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2...tterdeath.html

04-06-2009, 01:13 AM	#1
jgray Fanatic Posts: 554 Karma: 2928497 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Clara 2E & Sage	Too many positrons I was reading a news story a few days ago about some folks who had been studying cosmic rays. As part of this study, they were counting electrons and positrons (antimatter electrons). It seems that they are getting way too many positrons than they expected. Supposedly, this excess of positrons may be an indication of dark matter. However, I have a better explaination. In an alternate reality (The End of Eternity), humans on extraterrestrial colonies are destroying all of their robots, so humanity does not wind up slaves to their technology (The Robots of Dawn and others). Since these robots have positronic brains, this explains the excess of positrons that is bombarding the Earth. Yes, I am weird When I read the news story, I actually did think of positronic brains. I must have read too much Asimov in my youth.

04-06-2009, 02:07 PM	#3
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Interesting to note, they have finally figured out what dark mater is and where it's located. Turns out it's all the stuff that's fallen behind peoples' refrigerators.

04-06-2009, 03:56 PM	#4
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	I feel lost in Golden compass allusions.

04-06-2009, 04:07 PM	#5
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Kris, please tell me you have done your prerequisite reading of the Asimov canon. The Foundation series is required reading. What are they teaching you kids today anyway?

04-06-2009, 04:41 PM	#6
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	I found Asimov's Foundation series deadly boring though.

04-09-2009, 06:17 PM	#11
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	Is there a link to the positron article? My understanding of why there are more electrons than positrons is due to a symmetry break, which can be explained by a great analogy. Suppose a hundred people sit down at a circular dinner table. There is a plate in front of them and a glass of water midway between their plate and the plates on either side of them. As soon as one person selects a glass of water, either to their left or right (the symmetry break), it forces everyone else at the table to use the glass of water on the same side as the first individual selected. It is theorized that particles created near other particles are all connected or entangled (like a big round dinner table) and this is why our world is predominated by electrons and matter instead of positrons and anti-matter. I'm not exactly sure how this applies to dark matter, so I'd be interested in reading the article.

04-09-2009, 08:55 PM	#12
jgray Fanatic Posts: 554 Karma: 2928497 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Clara 2E & Sage	I don't have the link to the article I originally read, but Wired has a good summary: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2...tterdeath.html