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 threadBebadefabo

@Yuvalne are we not worried about a cascade of subatomic particles when the antimatter escapes? I'm less concerned about a big kaboom then I am fissures in quantum energy disrupting things in ways we don't yet understand.

Like, bikini atoll seemed like a good idea: at the time

Mar 27 at 2:20amWeb
Show threadTalya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️1d ago
@bebadefabo again, the amount is tiny. 10^-8 joules. even if there is a cascade, it's still much less than that of a single somewhat-powerful cosmic ray.