November 22, 2002

QUARK DELENDA EST!:

Did quark matter strike Earth? (Dr David Whitehouse, 22 November, 2002, BBC)
A group of researchers have identified two seismic events that they think provide the first evidence of a previously undetected form of matter passing through the Earth.

The so-called strange quark matter is so dense that a piece the size of a human cell would weigh a tonne.

The two events under study both took place in 1993.


Apropos of nothing; does anyone remember the '70s TV series, Quark? And, does a "tonne" weigh a ton? Posted by Orrin Judd at November 22, 2002 6:35 PM
Comments

A tonne is a metric ton; I suppose you could call it a "megagram".

Posted by: David Ross at November 22, 2002 5:40 PM

So is that more or less than a real ton?

Posted by: at November 22, 2002 5:42 PM

Somewhat more, about 2200 lbs. (since a kilogram is ~2.2 lbs).

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at November 22, 2002 6:30 PM

Orrin,



Sadly yes, I can remember watching Richard Benjamin in Quark in the mid-1970s. Fortunately, I don't remember many of the details, except that he collected intergalactic garbage--which pretty much sums up the quality of the show.



Ed

Posted by: Ed Driscoll at November 22, 2002 7:06 PM

Yeah, but it had the great Tim Thomerson as Gene/Jean.

Posted by: oj at November 22, 2002 7:50 PM

in one episode, they were stranded on a planet named "Polumbus" for no apparent reason except that at the end of the half-hour, when they finally leave the planet, Benjamin could look back and say "Goodbye, Polumbus."

Posted by: Foos at November 22, 2002 9:42 PM

Now that's funny.

Posted by: oj at November 22, 2002 9:52 PM

But how is it conservative?

Posted by: David Cohen at November 23, 2002 9:33 AM

It makes fun of Philip Roth?

Posted by: oj at November 23, 2002 10:21 AM
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