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Our world is made of matter. Everything you see and feel is ordinary matter. Matter has a counterpart called antimatter. And true to science-fiction stereotype, if matter and antimatter meet, they destroy each other. Scientists are trying to find out why antimatter is so rare. One recent experiment took place inside a giant particle accelerator where scientists made small amounts of antimatter. After studying and measuring the forces of both antimatter and matter, they found that they behaved exactly the same. Listen to hear more about this discovery and why it matters.
Story Length: 3:07
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AIR DATE: 11/04/2015
June 24, 2015
3:12
When we look out into the world we see empty space, the air, and solid objects, like a chair. Astrophysics professor Adam Frank says our perception of solid matter isn’t consistent with science and what we know about how atoms actually work. Throw away your image of tightly fitting marbles and open your mind to empty space and whizzing electrons in this science exploration.
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In the last decade, increases in government funding to scientific research through the National Institute of Health (NIH) has spurred massive growth at universities across the country. Now, with congressional reductions in discretionary spending, inflation and increasing cost of research, scientists across the country have lost the NIH funding that was at the core of the research. Listen to this public radio story to hear how scientists at three different research institutes are dealing with this funding squeeze.
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3:53
A few seconds lost over millions of years seem irrelevant, but atomic clock scientists say that better clock precision will help us study and feel the heartbeat of the universe.
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