MIT Physicists Build World's First Fermion Microscope 31
Zothecula writes: Researchers working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) claim to have created a method to better observe fermions – the sub-atomic building blocks of matter – by constructing a microscope capable of viewing them in groups of a thousand at a time. A laser technique is used to herd the fermions into a viewing area and then freeze them in place so all of the captured particles can be imaged simultaneously.
not the first (Score:2, Interesting)
But actually the third group. The groups of Stefan Kuhr of the University of Strathclyde and Marcus Greiner in Harvard were first.
rule 34 applies (Score:1)
Re:rule 34 applies (Score:5, Funny)
That's because they've been listening to Barry-White-ions.
Most scientists don't know about them because you have to search in lower frequency ranges.
Hmmmm ... (Score:4, Interesting)
A laser technique is used to herd the fermions
So ... do fermions most resemble cows, or cats? I'm confused.
Re:Hmmmm ... (Score:5, Interesting)
A laser technique is used to herd the fermions
So ... do fermions most resemble cows, or cats? I'm confused.
Well, fermions are called that because they exhibit Fermi-Dirac statistics [wikipedia.org], so they're arguably more like cats than cows.
Re:Hmmmm ... (Score:5, Interesting)
Fermions => cats
Bosons => cows
(Bosons can be herded into the same quantum state, fermions cannot on account of the Pauli exclusion principle.)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Where's BadAnalogyGuy when you need him?
Re: (Score:2)
MIA since 2011, according to his profile page [slashdot.org].
Re: (Score:2)
That is McDonalds.
Re: (Score:1)
Once large herds of fermions used to roam free the quantum fields
Then white man came
Re: (Score:2)
Fermions => cats
Bosons => cows
Bosons heavy and rare which I argue is more like a Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant [tumblr.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Well, assuming a spherical cow..
Re: (Score:1)
Here's an sample specimen [wikimedia.org], but why would anybody want to see these annoying creatures up close?
Re: (Score:1)
That is perfectly valid in the Furbian dialect of English.
Re: (Score:2)
Stupid question.
If you drop orange sand on black paper what would you see? Do you see what you expected? cool you have just added evidence to your hypothesis as to how you dropped your sand and what outcome that would have.
Hmmm... (Score:2)