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Anti matter and space travel

God has created the universe with a terrible beauty of symmetry, and Anti particles (anti matter) is the best example!” This is exactly how my physics professor Dr. Dawson started his lecture about anti matter. Indeed, anti matter has been the stuff of science fiction romanticism,the fuel of choice for star ships of the star trek universe to traverse the universe faster than light.

Coming back to reality, the world around us is composed of matter: hydrogen, oxygen etc, which are in turn composed of fundamental particles like protons and electrons. Similarly, anti matter is created of fundamental anti particles like anti-proton and anti-electron. What does it mean to say 'anti'? It means that the quantum (energy related characteristic) values of these particles are negative from normal particles. This negativity applies to sub-particle characteristics only but not to physical characteristics such as mass and charge of particles, which remain the same as normal particles. Doesn't it sound a whole lot like Greek!

Okay,back to plain English. Since anti-matter is negative, there's a theory that if matter and anti-matter come in contact, the particles will annihilate themselves creating a burst of raw energy. Indeed, scientists have suggested that there may be a whole universe full of stars and planets that are composed of anti-matter. In the anti-universe anti-protons, anti-neutrons and anti-electrons group together to form anti atoms. So there is a possibility (according to madcap scientists) that there is a whole anti-me or anti-you too in an anti-earth. How cool is that!

I have talked about anti-matter as a source of fuel for deep space exploration. In fact, if matter and anti-matter collide, it can produce pure raw energy according to Einstein's E = mc2. So if half a kilogram of anti-matter collides with half a kilogram of matter it can produce enough energy to power up the whole earth (why don't you do the math)! Now with this apparent abundant source of energy, you would wonder why the scientists aren't trying to do that. Well firstly, it is dangerous because the explosion would also annihilate the entire solar system. And secondly, anti matter is not available in the known universe at all. Even if it is, it is produced in minute quantity and it annihilates itself by colliding with matter as soon as it is formed. However, the good old people in CERN (the world's largest scientific facility and laboratory) are trying to produce anti-matter artificially. So far they have only been able to produce a handful of particles, which can be sustained only for a few seconds. Apparently, the rate at which anti-matter is being produced, it will take 2 billion years to just produce 1 gram!

Future explorers, please do not loose your heart. In spite of all these hindrances, we will soon be able to travel from one galaxy to another, travelling on a vessel powered by anti matter and matter explosion. Till that happens, remember, our imagination and thinking travel faster than light and have no boundaries.

By Monty Python


Snare

Guy01: Hi.
Girl27: Hi
Guy01: How are you today?
Gilr27: Fine and I got the pictures that you sent. They're awesome! You look seriously good in a tie! I wish we could meet up.

Guy01: Well we could if you want. I'm coming to Dhaka in a week remember?
Girl27: Yeah I know. I really can't wait. But I'm kinda not sure. I mean we've only known each other for like a year and that too on the net.
Guy01: If you don't want to I can understand.

Girl27: I want to; its just that I'm not sure…I mean…our relationship has been very good on the net. I'm just scared that it might not work out face to face.
Guy01: Don't worry. I'm just as handsome in real life as I am in pictures! I'll even wear a tie if you want to.
Girl27: Ha-ha very funny…you're a real riot.

Guy01: Don't worry, I didn't mean it that way. We know each other too well to hesitate in a real conversation. I'm sure of that.
Girl27: … Well if you say so. But I'm cashing in on the tie! You really look good in them.
Guy01: No problem.

He smiled a secret smile as the screen lighted up his face. The internet was a wonder, certainly man's greatest creation since the wheel. It was so much easier to connect to people through it. Friends we're easier to make when you didn't have to face them…when they weren't able to look into your eyes and guess what you were really thinking.

Together, they fixed a date, time, and venue. She was most concerned about whether he'd find the place, having been abroad so long and even offered to pick him up. He wouldn't hear of it.

Now, before the meet, was the time for preparation. He needed everything right. Nothing would…no, nothing could go wrong, not if he prepared right. It was all in the preparation as he had learned early on. Success depended on it.

Ten days later he was standing outside the café, wondering if she had come. He had worn a tie. She would like that, he knew it. Now, he wanted to make sure she was there before entering. He couldn't be early or on time. He was after all, just back home from abroad. He had to look confused and disoriented…and lost. He arrived on time, but decided not to go in. He wanted to watch her first, to see her in her unselfconscious sweetness. These new windows afforded the perfect opportunity to do so.

Sitting down he noted that she looked even more beautiful than she had looked in the pictures. The contours of her face almost paralleled that of a Greek goddess…what was her name again…the one who coerced the young shepherd into giving her the golden apple? But that was immaterial. He needed to concentrate now. This part was the hardest. Keeping the girl entertained, unsuspicious.

Two full hours passed. Inwardly he complimented himself on his acting abilities. She had fallen for him, hook, line and sinker. Like an expert angler he reeled her into shallow waters, closer to himself. He needed her to be vulnerable to his wishes, his whims. Once he was sure, he pulled the line in. Telling her that the city looked very different from what he remembered he asked if should would show him the new sites. She agreed, ecstatic at the prospect of spending more time with him, this charming prince from abroad. Smiling that same secret smile, something that she didn't notice he lead her out of the café. And they roamed the streets nearby, without any apparent destination, except the one he was steering her towards, resembling any happy couple.

Walking down the road, they talked. Talking was necessary. You needed to keep them occupied for the next bit. Once he was sure of the right time, he sprung. Quick as a snake he pulled out the hanker chief swabbed liberally with chloroform. Before she knew it she was inhaling deep from the chemical from the cloth. As she slumped into his arms he looked around him. No one had noticed a thing. No one ever did, people never had enough time to notice things in the streets as they made their hectic ways through yet another day on God's forsaken planet. It was a blessing for people like him. Swiftly and deftly he maneuvered her to his car. In a manner of seconds she was in the back seat and he was driving away. Once again, no one noticed a thing.

Excitement grew up in him. It was hard to control it now that the prize was so near. He could almost smell the blood in her veins. A part of him was itching to rip apart her throat and drink, but he needed her alive for the first part. It was so much more satisfying when they were alive and trying to resist him.

Once home and the girl safely in a locked room he revived her. She came to screaming, but that was ok, no on would hear her. And he proceeded to ravage her, sating his primary lust. She tried to resist, just like the ones before her, but he liked it that way, breaking her and taking it from her was so much more fun.

After awhile, he stopped, his energies spent. Watching her 1lying naked and bleeding he tried for pity. Maybe he should let her go. The sight of blood though was too hard to resist. The shakes were taking over him, just at the sight of blood. It was then that he knew he couldn't let her go. He had to feed, just like everyone else. And ripping apart her throat he did just that, drinking the elixir that was hued scarlet.

Hours later, after disposing the body, he was sitting in front of the computer again. He signed in and waited. He never started a conversation, they always did. Sure enough, five minutes later an IM window beeped open.

Gal19: Hi, how are you today?
The secret smile flashed again as the screen lighted up. Was it his fault that they all wanted to talk to him; was it his fault that he was such a good listener? Was it his fault that he was such a good friend?

By Tareq Adnan


Special Days In August

If you thought that July had some hilarious days, then you're in for a huge surprise! Check out the list below…and then believe me!

August 1 - Sport's Day , Switzerland Founded, 1291
August 3 - Watermelon Day
August 5 - Neil Armstrong's Birthday , Friendship Day
August 6 - Wiggle Your Toes Day

August 7 - National Kids Day
August 9-International Art Appreciation Day
August 11 - Play in the Sand Day
August 13 -International Left-Handers Day

August 14 - Yukon Discovery Day
August 15 - National Relaxation Day
August 16 - Joke Day
August 17 - Davy Crockett's Birthday

August 18 - Wizard of Oz Premiered
August 19-National Aviation Day , National Potato Day
August 20 - National Radio Day
August 22 - National Tooth Fairy Day

August 23 - National Sponge Cake Day
August 24 - National Peach Pie Day
August 25 - National Banana Split Day
August 27-Volcano Eruption - Krakatau

August 28 - Dream Day
August 29 - First Scout Camp Opened, 1934
August 30-National Toasted Marshmallow Day
August31-Thomas Edison patented the Peephole Kinetoscope

Compiled by Nayeema Reza


 

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