h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is from something a friend said to me about people's understanding of real science and science fiction. And before all you smart alecs give the answer away, I know the answer to this, its a social experiment, to get an idea of how many "normal" people know.

Do you think that antimatter exists?

Yes.

the most simple forms are positrons(anti-electrons), anti-protons and anti-neutrons. Even anti-hydrogen has been made.

Of practically every elementary particle the anti-version has been discovered (if different from the normal version)

Does that mean I am normal or smart-alec?

Well I think I'm normal and I'm certainly not a scientist. But I do consider myself to be reasonably well read in the non-fiction sense - papers, journals including New Scientist occasionally.
And yes I do think antimatter exists. How else do you think they get the Enterprise to fly at warp speed?

You know, I think a forum where you can read all the previous answers might not be the *best* medium for that kind of question

'Course it exists.

I know it exists, or to be precise I believe that it does, and I'm not a scientist, if that helps. You'll have to take my word that I'd have said the same without reading the previous answers.

I have heard it said that I'm not normal either, mind you. I have no problem with that.

YEs, im under the impression it does.
But being an A-Level phyisics student who spent 3 weeks on it I might not be the kind of person you're trying to ask.
That said, calling the thread 'antimatter' doesnt help that either.

Last I heard anything about it in the (albeit) small amount of science news reading I do, it existed.

Though I do like the answer "How else do you think they get the Enterprise to fly at warp speed?" !!!

yes it exists. I even remember it being mentioned in a book written in the early to mid 70s. It was interesting in that they "knew" about antimatter but the book was written one year before the venus probe so they held out hope that it was wet and may have sea life and other such things.

Historical science is great reading



P.S Star trek has a physics advisor (post "old series" ofcourse)

Yes, antimatter exists, albeit (perhaps fortunately) in very small quantities.

Apparition: Historical science really is great reading but you have to remember to give the scientists credit for what they knew at the time and not snigger (I know you weren't) because of what we have learned since. Shoulders of giants and all that.

I'm with you on the 'general public's knowledge of science' question but I don't think this approach is going to work. I'm sure there's scope to find an answer with the help of the H2G2 community though; maybe someone can suggest a better methodology? Would it be possible to post one of those questionnaires the health pages are so fond of with some carefully chosen science/fiction questions? Hootooers could complete them and post their results in a thread where the results could be read and analysed.

Any Hootoo psychologists out there have any ideas?

F

OK, I think we can safely say that as a social experiment this probably didn't work, because you're all smart alecs and not normal
It reassures me though, because the friend who started this told me that most people don't think it exists, except, of course, to get the enterprise to fly at warp speed.
I have tried something similar before, there's a website called Altervistas, where you can fill in surveys, and also give your own questions, but they've never got round to moderating it and putting it in the surveys, so I never got the answers.
If any psychologists did want to take this up I'd be interested in the results!

Like I said - the thread title attracts physics people.

I should have titled it "sex" or something, but then people would have been disappointed, and leave without posting!

On the Sci-fi/real sci thing - most people wont beleive you when you tell them NASA has an ion drive.

Every force must have an opposite force, call it "anti" or whatever.

Hmm. Would that be a Xenon ion drive by any chance?

Yes, does sound rather sci-fi

Yep, you should have called this thread "sex".

It's about as hard to find as antimatter round here.

Pin

it does sound rather sci-fi, but as a lot of sci-fi is actually written by people with a good science background, there is good reason for that.

not only do they have an ion drive, but it has actually been launced on the probe "deep space 1", using that probe as a test vehicle to find out just how much of an advantage you get from it.

A recent article in New Scientist describes how some researchers want to use antimatter (specifically anti-protons) as a cancer treatment. Apparently the anti-proton radiation should be able to wipe out the cancer cells with less damage to surrounding tissue than x-rays and other types of radiation therapy. Amazing - a real use for esoteric science.

Unfortunately you would have to go to the CERN physics laboratory in Geneva for treatment.

F

I have vast amounts of anti-money if anyone would like to swap it for the oppsite....