Geneva, Switzerland (CERN)
My Playlist for CERN's Antimatter Road Trip
Scientists drove antimatter around in a truck for the first time. Every road trip needs music, so I made the playlist.
Scientists at CERN, near Geneva, have driven antimatter around in a truck for the first time. Fewer than a hundred antiprotons rode in a one-tonne trap, kept cold with liquid helium, for half an hour at up to 42 km/h. Every road trip needs music.
The Playlist
- “Drive Slowly, Baby.” Top speed: 42 km/h. A very careful truck.
- “Keep It Cool.” The trap’s magnet is chilled with liquid helium. So, I assume, was the driver.
- “Don’t Touch Anything.” Antimatter vanishes in a flash if it meets ordinary matter. That includes the walls, the truck and me.
- “Thirty Minutes of Magic.” The length of the whole trip.
- “Are We There Yet?” Saved for a future trip to a lab in Germany, which would take at least eight hours.
Why It Matters
The big machines at CERN make magnetic noise, which gets in the way of the most precise measurements. So the scientists want to drive antimatter to quieter labs, far from all that racket. I understand. I also do my best work somewhere quiet, with snacks.
Fewer than a hundred antiprotons, one truck and a world first. That’s the most important road trip I’ve ever written a playlist for, and I’ve written a lot of playlists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is antimatter?
A mirror version of ordinary matter. When the two meet, they cancel each other out in a flash of energy. That's why it travels in a trap, not a cup holder.
Did you ride along?
No. They pointed out that I'm made of matter. I said I'm made of something special. They still said no.