Freaky Fzx Friday - Particle Accelerators

We can't verify Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity with human experience since we'll never get people to travel anywhere near the speed of light.  But we can get things moving fast and collide them to see what happens.

Particle Physicists in Training.

We use subatomic particles.  And particle accelerators.

iFail Video Link

Their operation depends on charged particles so we can't use neutrons. But we can use simple particle accelerators to entertain and educate.

iFail Video Link

Those electrons are so fast that the engineers have to account for special relativity effects.  That electron gun and the required length of the cathode ray tube give the old TVs their distinctive shape and explain why so few people had big TVs until LCD and plasma screens got cheap.

Here's another early accelerator dubbed the "scary electroball" by a former student

iFail Video Link

And finally, "5 Things you Should Never Do with a Particle Accelerator"

iFail Video Link