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Table-top Particle Accelerator Created

Posted by samzenpus on from the what-could-go-wrong dept.

holy_calamity writes "French physicists have built a desktop particle accelerator. It uses a pair of laser beams to precisely control the acceleration of electrons within a plasma. It has the power of a device that usually takes up a whole room and could lead to new medical treatments. They don't mention the potential for experiments like 'what happens if I put my lunch in front of a 300 megaelectronvolt beam?'"

10 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Mmm.. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 3, Funny

    Lunch is all well and good, but I'm still waiting for an investigation into the device's popcorn-popping capabilities.

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  2. SECOND Table-top Particle Accelerator Created! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    These guys never heard of air hockey?

  3. Time to market? by jimstapleton · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can see it now...

    Boss: "What is that on your desk?"
    Me: "A particle accelerator."
    Boss: "OK, next question... Why?"
    Me: "Because I can."

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  4. Important safety tip... by Etcetera · · Score: 2, Funny


    They don't mention the potential for experiments like 'what happens if I put my lunch in front of a 300 megaelectronvolt beam?'

    Whatever you do, don't cross the streams!

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  5. Christmas List? by bepolite · · Score: 2, Funny

    Please Santa can I have a Particle Accelerator? I've been good!

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  6. Re:Been around for years by hal2814 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Really. These guys used to strap them on like backpacks when they went to work everyday.

  7. Done before by j00r0m4nc3r · · Score: 3, Funny

    This has been done already, just with really really really big desktops.

  8. cooking at CERN by joejor · · Score: 2, Funny
    Perhaps they can follow up on high energy culinary research, as previously documented in
    Zryd A., Liechti T., Wagnière J.D. (1995). The laser cheese raclette, Annals of Improbable Research, 1, 3, 12-15.
  9. Re:Been around for years by inviolet · · Score: 3, Funny

    "You know, it just occurred to me, we've never had a completely successful test of this equipment."
    "I blame myself."
    "So do I."
    "Well, no sense worrying about it now. Switch me on."

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  10. Sounds familiar by plopez · · Score: 3, Funny

    like every software project I took part in.

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