How do neutrino oscillations work? | Even Bananas 10

Things get weird at the smallest scales - just take a look at the way neutrinos behave as they travel. In this episode of #EvenBananas, we’ll explore the phenomenon of neutrino oscillation through something a bit easier to grasp: beach balls. Join neutrino physicist Dr. Kirsty Duffy for some delightful quantum chaos.

Even Bananas playlist:

All Things Neutrino:

Fermilab physics 101:

Fermilab home page:

Production Credits:
Creator: Lauren Biron
Host: Kirsty Duffy
Writers: Lauren Biron, Kirsty Duffy, Scott Hershberger, Brianna Barbu
Director/Editor: Ryan Postel
Graphic Designer: Diana Brandonisio
Camera/Audio/Trichromal Sphere Handler: Luke Pickering
Theme Song: Scott Hershberger

[scrtpassword]

As a physicist and as someone who enjoy chaos in general, I freaking love neutrinos

[SlowToe]

Everything about Neutrinos melts my brain (without even interacting with it 🙂)

[JorgeFalconOnline]

Great analogies for explaining superposition and the act of measuring.

[badlydrawnturtle]

"Mass state 1, mass state 2, and mass state 1, 000, 000"
You had me with this. I was fully ready to believe it, because sometimes science terminology really is that silly.

[keepcalm]

The last bit of info about that experiment was amazing!!

[thegenxgamerguy]

Thank you for explaining this to me. This was the first time somebody explained it which was really helpful for me.

I always thought this was something different, but you cleared it up. Amazing video, 11/10.

[brothermine]

Nice clear lecture. The oscillations give me the impression that neutrinos should not be classified as "fundamental" particles, like protons aren't due to their quark constituents.

[keithireland]

Thanks Ashley real world analogies are a brilliant way of teaching difficult concepts. You are an exceptional teacher. Many thanks from Ireland🍀🍀🍀.

[joseluisblanco]

4:10 here's the mind melting part. As if the rest weren't... But this vifeo is the best way of explaining this I've ever seen, great job.

[mikeoxlong]

I absolutely love these amazing videos you guys at the fermi lab produce! I always learn something new! Keep up the fantastic work!!

[russtaylor]

I don’t understand this at all - I’m sure I’m not alone in that - but it is amazing that all of this physics is “true”. Thanks for the informative and fun lectures.

[guardyangel]

Amazing video! Thank you so much for explaining this concept with such easy to understand analogies! ❤️

[danielortega]

A brilliant presentation, a very complicated concept explained verynwell

[nyphercat]

I know it's been three years but I recently discovered this channel as I am working on my end degree project (liquid argon detectors), the analogy for the beach ball could be a white ball and the special glasses would be an rgb light, no interaction all rgb are turned on, when interaction happens only one colour stays on seeing the ball as that colour

[christopherkirkland]

Thankyou for an excellent series of videos that helps us understand more about these weird neutrinos.

[seionne]

I like the beach ball analogy! Great video as always :)

[smlankau]

I think the spin of the neutrinos is connected to an unstable dimension. According to my theory, it has a 0.5 spin as 0.5+0.5 between 3 standard dimensions. And when it travels it can make 3 types of neutrinos for each dimension. If it takes only one 0.5 for a spin then the other 0.5 should try to be stable making dimensions like 1-0.5. And again it can become unstable because it has created another unstable -0.5 dimension too. So it should try to be stable again making dimensions like -1+0.5. And if elementary particles don't have an extra 0.5 unstable dimension, then the 3 layers of the 3 standard dimensions should be stable. I think the first layer (Up Quark, Down Quark, Electron, Electron Neutrino) in the standard model is generally based on only 1 main standard dimension. And generally, there is 1 more standard dimension (like 1-1) in the second layer. And same like that, there are 2 more standard dimensions in the third layer. - S.W.

[ventureoffroading]

Excellent presentation for those of us who struggle with this concept, I count myself as a expert struggler. After watching this video I have a much better grip on neutrino oscillations. Can’t say that I really understand it but I think now i will be able to sleep at night.

[brothermine]

Beginning at around 5:30 is a brief, vague comment about a relationship between neutrino oscillation and the neutrino's energy. I'm wondering whether a neutrino's speed varies (oscillates) while it travels... so that its energy will be conserved. Also, whether speed is a property of a neutrino, since we're told mass isn't one of its properties.

[NielMalan]

I am old enough to remember the "solar neutrino problem", which was solved by discovering neutrino oscillations.

My question is now, did the eccentricity of the earth's orbit reflect in the ratios of neutrino flavours detected?