Angels and Demons anti-matter bombs - for real ?

[UM-Bot]

Image credit: Pippo-b

With the recent release of the movie adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, the concept of an anti-matter bomb which in the film is used to threaten the Vatican with destruction has been introduced to cinemagoers everywhere. But how plausible is it ?

"In principle, antimatter looks like the ultimate explosive. Matter and anti-matter annihilate each other on contact, releasing energy according to Einstein’s famous formula. This tells us that one pound of antimatter is equivalent to around 19 megatons of TNT."

View: Full Article | Source: Wired

[WoIverine]

It's not plausible at all currently. It takes power levels so extreme that it's way too costly to even bother with at the moment. Possibly when the LHC is repaired and operational (if that can even create antimatter) then it might be another story.

[Hermit007]

from CERN website:

"There is no possibility to make antimatter bombs for the same reason you cannot use it to store energy: we can't accumulate enough of it at high enough density. (...) If we could assemble all the antimatter we've ever made at CERN and annihilate it with matter, we would have enough energy to light a single electric light bulb for a few minutes."

[Black Red Devil]

Image credit: Pippo-b

With the recent release of the movie adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, the concept of an anti-matter bomb which in the film is used to threaten the Vatican with destruction has been introduced to cinemagoers everywhere. But how plausible is it ?

"In principle, antimatter looks like the ultimate explosive. Matter and anti-matter annihilate each other on contact, releasing energy according to Einstein’s famous formula. This tells us that one pound of antimatter is equivalent to around 19 megatons of TNT."

View: Full Article | Source: Wired

Funny that! I saw the movie yesterday and googled the antimatter bomb. This link is pretty interesting.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/an...bombs-for-real/

And I quote,

'If you add up all the antimatter we have made in more than 30 years of antimatter physics here at CERN, and if you were very generous, you might get 10 billionths of a gram,' CERN’s Rolf Landua, told New Scientist magazine recently. 'Even if that exploded on your fingertip it would be no more dangerous than lighting a match'.

So I think the Vatican City is safe.

[DONTEATUS]

Yes indeed the Sci-chanel had the lead man on to rebuttle the subject and he did point out it would take a few hundred years of collecting to get 1/2 an oz. now that would tak out Rome he said!

Better start counting down,LoL

2109-2108-2107

[2nd Reign]

Already been said

Edited May 20, 2009 by 2nd Reign