New Particles

[ysabetwordsmith]

Four new particles have been discovered, all tetraquarks with various combinations of quarks inside.

This helps scientists study the strong force, and how the fundamental forces work.  They are actually all the same thing, but people are still missing pieces of how they fit together, the way it was discovered that electricity and magnetism are really electromagnetism.  Think of the forces like the fingers of the hand -- each distinct but all connected.  When they work together, they can do much more than any one alone.  So that's a key to thinks like graviton technology.  It's probably best that humanity isn't quite there yet.

Quantum physics gives me a hadron.  ;)

 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Graviton as in artificial gravity?

I wonder at the difference in quality between kinetic artificial gravity and fancy-physics artificial gravity...also the feasibility of building redundant failsafes at different tech levels, in case something gets knocked out.

Hmm...I wonder if /electromagnetic/ artificial gravity would be a possible thing?

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Graviton as in artificial gravity? <<

As in manipulation of gravity as a fundamental force, like how our current technology is primarily based on electromagnetism.

Artificial gravity is just one application. You also get antigravity fields, tractor and pressor beams, guns, compression hammers, etc. Most people think of gravity as something that sticks things together, but it does a lot more than that.

>> I wonder at the difference in quality between kinetic artificial gravity and fancy-physics artificial gravity... <<

It doesn't feel a lot different. Most of the gain is in space required and precision. Spin a large container and things will stick to the inside, but you need engines and fuel, and usually you can't get full gravity. Put in a grav engine, it does take more room especially at first, but you can get full gravity -- and control it. Usually it starts off with one setting for everything but by the time it's mature, you can dial gravity up and down in individual rooms like a thermostat.

>> also the feasibility of building redundant failsafes at different tech levels, in case something gets knocked out. <<

Redundancy is hard with spin gravity. The only ways are to have extra engines (rarely feasible), or modular build (sometimes feasible) so that probably not all the spintubes would fail at the same time. With gravitic engines, eventually they do get small enough that you can have a backup.

>> Hmm...I wonder if /electromagnetic/ artificial gravity would be a possible thing? <<

Well, there's electromagnetic levitation:

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=electromagnetic-levitation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_levitation

But it has weight limits and is finicky to use.

Electromagnetic locking, however, is simple and works great. It uses a current to activate a magnet beside a ferrous plate. This takes very little power to create a very strong bond. Of course, it's not a mechanical lock so nothing holds it together except the power -- interrupt or confuse that and the lock pops right open. Those programmed keypad locks are easily picked with the right tool. So they're powerful but not very secure. They're also super useful for picking up and moving things, like electromagnetic cranes or grapplers in a factory.

Re: Thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

>>Most people think of gravity as something that sticks things together, but it does a lot more than that.<<

Manipulation of gravity = manipulation of kinetic force. With a few flairs humans don't usually think of unless we're used to the idea of planet-gravity versus microgravity...

>>It doesn't feel a lot different.<<

But are there important qualities that don't get detected by typical human senses?

(Think how people don't actually starve with vitamin deficiencies, or notice slight lead and radiation poisoning immediately.)

I imagine a electromagnetism-based artificial gravity might give some people headaches or affect vision, but might make an entire ship inhospitable to any being who uses electromagnetism to see or navigate.

And I could imagine a kinetic-based artificial gravity to have some vitamin-deficiency like effects over the long term, especially if the ship is very small or must spin very fast.

Gravitron-tech would seem to be the best... but some people can't afford it or stuff breaks down - and that's before you get into Forgotten Common Knowledge which is much more common for High Tech levels than Low Tech ones.

>>Most of the gain is in space required and precision.<<

So miniaturization concurrent with power increase - like computers.

>>Spin a large container and things will stick to the inside, but you need engines and fuel, and usually you can't get full gravity.<<

Might be a useful emergency backup.

I wonder if there'd be a way to set up a ship so it would 'whirlpool' naturally - like a gravity fed water system, but for moving stuff in space, if that makes sense?

>>Usually it starts off with one setting for everything but by the time it's mature, you can dial gravity up and down in individual rooms like a thermostat.<<

Engineering g for that myst be very fiddly.

A good murder-mystery in space might involve 'who messed with the gravity settings?'

Hmm...I wonder about gravity /belts/ (or boots, or equivalent)?

>>Well, there's electromagnetic levitation:<<

I wonder if you could use it to make an antigravity-electromagnetic medical stretcher or exosuit.

Wouldn't it be cool if we could have exosuits so cetaceans and cephelapods could hang out with us on land? Nevermind the more mundane uses of levitating to clean gutters or having an anti gravity safety gizmo in case you fall off the skyscraper you're building...

You might have to be careful if someone's got metal implants though.

An interesting instance of Technology Compatability would be if metal implants fell out of fashion due to the increased popularity of electromagnetic gizmos. Replace the implants with coral or 3D printed artificial bone, or something.

>>Of course, it's not a mechanical lock so nothing holds it together except the power...<<

But it makes a good safety feature if you have to evac a ship in a hurry.

[edrevol]

Aaah that's so cool!

(Also, nice pun.)