this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Same. Aren't neutrons capable of crossing the entire planet unless they directly colide with another particle?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 months ago

I reckon you're thinking of the neutrino which rarely interacts with matter.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

I believe you're thinking of neutrinos. Neutrons love bonking into things, and they're really good at it. Too good; if the thing they're bonking is too big they'll just keep on bouncing, so you gotta bounce them off small stuff. Concrete has lots of small stuff bound up in it, so while there's better shields (borax and paraffin slurry is a classic one) there's few cheaper or easier to make shields than concrete.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Neutrons are just so bonked up

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Oh oops. I did mix them up.