How Cosmic Rays and Balloons Started Particle Physics

Today, cosmic rays are used to understand things like supernovas, but in the early 1900s, they helped us discover brand-new subatomic particles long before the first accelerators.

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[scishowspace]

Note: At 0:18, we say that Victor Hess jumped in a hot air balloon, but it was actually just a regular balloon filled with hydrogen!

[AKrn]

I love how you mention the people who did the work and not just the information.

[snowdaysrule]

Fun Fact: The highest energy cosmic ray detection thus far occured in Utah in 1991 and was estimated to be at 3.2x10^20 eV or 51J. This particle, now known as the Oh-My-God Particle, weighed only the mass of a proton yet contained as much energy as a 142g baseball travelling 58mph.

[justDIY]

Great video! Fantastic energy and enthusiasm from the presentator.

[melkorWTF]

Damn I don't think I've ever seen someone so cheerful and endearing.

[NewMessage]

I knew a guy named Cosmic Ray. He liked balloons too, but only if they were filled with nitrous.

[LaineyBug]

I Iike the story of Astronauts being able to see cosmic rays with their naked eyes & how they figured out that's what they were seeing!

[GunnyHighway]

How does a lead plate capture anything? Also, what are we seeing when you show us the visuals of the capturing of the particles? Possible video idea?

[bettereveryday]

We really love to watch your channel love from India

[stormaggedon]

The decay of a Lambda Partic looks a lot like the language of the Time Lords 🧐🤔

[coolkidbmx]

I really enjoy this content. More please!

[DrB]

Great episode. FYI: Muon is pronounced "Mew-on", not "Moo-on".

[Starfals]

Didnt the Fantastic 4 get hit by Cosmic rays? Ohhh how cool to finally get what they were ;p

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Cosmic rays makes me think of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom with Sonny Eclipse

[Grimerpr]

I have one theory of where they might be originating from, and to be honest the point of origin for these ultra high energy cosmic Rays is still theoretical in a sense, since it's the opposite end of a black hole, aka a white hole.. As we all know black holes gravity is so strong that not even light can escape, and anything going into gets stretched and torn down to even below the subatomic level, and compressed so tight together it's not even funny also beyond the event horizon the speed of stuff entering the black hole is approaching close to the speed of light, assuming it keeps getting faster once inside the black hole on it's way to the other end aka the white hole or exit, I'm theorizing that's where it's at its fastest, once the ultra high energy cosmic rays exit the white hole all the energy it built up entering the black hole and on it's way out of the white is lost rather rapidly.. just a theory though

[combatking]

I will launch myself into low earth orbit to expose myself to cosmic rays and gain super-human powers!


... [many days later] ...


Thanks to the mutations caused by my exposure to cosmic rays, I have gained the super power of a vastly shortened life. The Fantastic Four lied to me!

[KnighteMinistriez]

Question: How much antimatter is in the universe? I love science. Science is awesome.

[yougottrumped]

If oxyen is magentic when really cold could cold oxyen in the upper atmopher give a planet a magnetic field after a planet core cools

[aniket]

Cosmic Ray's meaning high energy particle high energy proton atomic nuclei

[darrenkrivit]

Like a Cosmic Ray I am Free...and Powerful!! 😀