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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!bentley!kwh
From: kwh@bentley.UUCP (KW Heuer)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Phasers, and Photon Torp
Message-ID: <664@bentley.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Mar-86 11:33:03 EST
Article-I.D.: bentley.664
Posted: Wed Mar 26 11:33:03 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Mar-86 07:14:24 EST
References: <4639MW9@PSUVM>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Liberty Corner
Lines: 21

In article <4639MW9@PSUVM> MW9@PSUVM.BITNET (Michael S. Weiss) writes:
>In article <305@agrigene.UUCP>, buchbind@agrigene.UUCP says:
>>Since most everything in the galaxy is made of matter, why
>>include matter in antimatter bombs?
>
>Ok, for matter/anti-matter to explode they must be opposite "images"
>of the same thing.  Like, matter-x will only explode when it comes
>in contact with anti-matter-x.  Anti-matter-y and matter-x can romp
>around forever.  At least, this is how I understand it.  I could be
>wrong.  Then again, maybe not.

I believe this is hogwash as far as real physics is concerned, and I
think ST normally handles antimatter physics correctly.  (Didn't they
use pure antimatter against the giant amoeba in _The Immunity Syndrome_?)
But in _The Alternative Factor_, I think they used the "opposite image"
idea -- one of the Lazari was antimatter, but but could exist in our
matter universe as long as he never met his couterpart.

Of course, one might note that the universe didn't collapse when his
first breathful of matter-air contacted the residual antimatter-air at
the bottom of his lungs...