Talya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️1d ago

CERN just managed to transport antimatter via truck, and people are asking what happens if it gets into an accident. the answer is... a car accident.

the energy equivalence of antimatter is huge — 10¹⁷J/kg, but the amount is tiny — 92 protons. it's so tiny that if i placed all 92 in your hand, the destruction and release of energy would feel less warm than mere sunlight, by a factor of at least a few thousands.

i'd be more worried about the 2-ton magnetic containment machine in that truck.

Show threadJackie1d ago

@Yuvalne

I would say it would be cool if we were to find out how to store massive amounts of antimatter, but then I would realize it would just be a bomb

Show threadTalya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️1d ago
@burnoutqueen well yeah, but any energy store is a bomb depending on how fast the energy gets released. fuel tanks. batteries. radioactive materials. in some cases it's hard to reach bomb levels (i don't think you can turn most biological material into a bomb EDIT: no i'm wrong, you definitely can), but it's often easier than you think.
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧
@Yuvalne @burnoutqueen methane-producing bacteria + enclosed space :3
Mar 27 at 12:10amWeb
Show threadAndrew1d ago
@whitequark @Yuvalne @burnoutqueen or an alcohol still
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧1d ago
@cinebox @Yuvalne @burnoutqueen i was thinking of something entirely biological, i feel if you're allowed adding weirdly shaped metal it's not even challenging
Show threadviq23h ago
@whitequark @cinebox @Yuvalne @burnoutqueen how much can you scale up a bombardier beetle? 🤔
Show threadviq20h ago
@whitequark @cinebox @Yuvalne @burnoutqueen reading the couple above messages, and thinking... Fuel-air explosives, also known as thermobaric weapons. You disperse something flammable (gas, flour, metal dust) into the air, via any means you have at your disposal (military ones often use primary explosion, but a bellow will do), and shortly after, when you have a nice dense cloud of it, you provide ignition.
WHOOOOOMPH 💥
No weirdly shaped metal involved.
Show threadTalya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️1d ago
@whitequark @burnoutqueen yeah i know it's true for some. i was thinking of something like wood. but maybe i'm just not creative enough.
Show threadNotBlackMagic1d ago
@Yuvalne @whitequark @burnoutqueen Sawdust can explode.
(Eucalyptus trees as well, arguably.)
Show threadTalya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️1d ago
@CASSCFenjoyer @whitequark @burnoutqueen and like i suspected, i just wasn't creative enough.
Show threadEQ1d ago
@Yuvalne @CASSCFenjoyer @whitequark @burnoutqueen Flour mill with the perfect flour dust/air mix 🙂
Show threadBrad Macpherson1d ago
@CASSCFenjoyer @Yuvalne @whitequark @burnoutqueen Bushfire (or lightning) + old gum tree = loud bang + wood shrapnel + more bushfire
Show threadGreyshley 1d ago
@whitequark @Yuvalne @burnoutqueen beached whale moment.