3286: Particle Physics Equipment
| Particle Physics Equipment |
 Title text: The one that sounds like the oracle at the center of the galaxy where the hero travels to hear a prophecy is probably Brookhaven National Laboratory's now-dismantled COSMOTRON. |
Explanation[edit]
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This is one of 46 incomplete explanations: This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
The comic rates various equipment used in particle physics by how much it seems like an offering at a sci-fi spa. Some things, like a Geiger counter, are very hard to interpret in this way, whereas others, such as bubble chambers, are very easy to imagine as spa equipment.
| Device | Actual use | Spa interpretation | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geiger counter | A Geiger counter measures ionising radiation. It's the source of the iconic clicking sound that gets faster if there is more radiation. Geiger counters were the subject of 2607: Geiger Counter | 2 | |
| Cherenkov detector | 3 | ||
| Photomultiplier tube | A very sensitive light detector | Sounds like it could perhaps be a fancy word for a tanning booth, or a replacement part used in one. But this clunky term would not be advertised to the public. | 4 |
| Linear accelerator | A lot of spa treatments are aimed at getting rid of lines, particularly on the face, so this sounds like it would be counter-productive | 6 | |
| Scintillation counter | This sounds like it might be similar to a nail or makeup counter, where you could have treatments applied to make you sparkle (although Randall has given it a surprisingly low rating considering that this sounds quite appealing). | 7 | |
| Ion chamber | Reference to ions calls to mind the kind of scientific mumbo jumbo often used when advertising beauty products to make them sound more impressive than they actually are. | 13 | |
| Cyclotron | A type of particle accelerator. Can be used to treat cancer, but this would not normally be done in a spa. | In popular culture, adding '-tron' to the end of a machine name is often used to signify science that is sufficiently advanced as to be indistinguishable from magic. Some beauty treatments are applied in cycles (in particular, 'skin cycling'), so a Cyclotron may sound like a highly-advanced shortcut to those same results. | 18 |
| Bubble chamber | A big bowl of a fluid, usually liquid hydrogen, that can detect electrically charged particles moving through it. | It sounds like a bubble bath, a feature commonly found in spas. | 71 |
| Cloud chamber | A cloud chamber is a transparent container containing supersaturated water or alcohol, which reacts to ionising radiation. | Clouds are often associated with softness, luxury, and pleasurable feelings, so this may sound like something it would be nice to relax in | 72 |
| Cosmotron (Title Text) |
Transcript[edit]
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This is one of 31 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the transcript! |
- Particle Physics Equipment
- By how much it sounds like an offering at a high-end spa in a sci-fi/fantasy novel
- [Rightwards arrow with label "more"]
- [From left to right:]
- Geiger counter
- Cherenkov detector
- Photomultiplier tube
- Linear accelerator
- Scintillation counter
- Ion chamber
- Cyclotron
- Bubble Chamber [There is a large gap before this item]
- Cloud Chamber
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Discussion
This is the latest comic i ever seen 5692Wraith (talk) 02:58, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
- The website itself also says "Note: Monday's comic will go up on Tuesday this week." at the top of the page. 74.83.153.42 14:50, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
Hmm, to be fair a cyclotron does sound like it'd be a fancy piece of spa equipment. Celene (talk) 04:38, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
- For me a cyclotron sounds more like a sports equipment rather than a spa equipment. Cochonou (talk) 06:32, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
- Scintillation Counter should definitely be a lot higher up. I imagine the queue at that for a Scintillation Technician is always quite long. 82.13.184.33 08:27, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
I added my count of the position on the line that each equipment appears at, based on the tick marks. Please feel free to correct the numbers if I miscounted. --207.181.214.68 07:39, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
Cloud chamber: Shouldn't that be "water or alcohol? --2A00:23CC:D248:8901:54EB:4663:AA76:CFF 07:52, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
The 1968 SciFi movie "Barbarella" comes to mind, but that particular piece of Spa equipment is not mentioned in the list.MindTheGap (talk) 10:18, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
Not me spending a good minute trying to work out what "SPA" stands for 146.66.72.187 13:08, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
- Scientific Personal Amelioration. 82.13.184.33 13:29, 19 August 2026 (UTC)
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