Oh-My-God particle
What's an Oh-My-God particle?
Yup, you read correctly; there actually is such a thing.
40 years ago, Mr. Greisen, Zatsepin and Kuzmin (no, they are not characters from any obscure science fiction), using some arcane physics formulae, calculated that cosmic rays from distant sources would never have energies above a certain limit.
All seem fine and well until 15 years ago, a particle was observed to have an estimated energy nearly 10 times of this limit. [It was probably a proton, and if it is, its speed would have been approximately (1 - 4.9 × 10-24)c – after traveling one light year the particle would be only 46 nanometres behind a photon that left at the same time.]
The particle's existence appear to contradict the predictions of currently known physics. A few other similar observations have been made, and these particles have been called the oh-my-god particle. To date, it still is an unresolved physics paradox.
I wonder why they call it the oh-my-god particle. Maybe it goes like this..
"Hey, Greg, look at the readings on this particle! Its freaking wierd!"
" Oh my god! I can't believe it!"
" Yeah.. lets just call it the oh-my-god particle then"
Maybe in the future we will also have what-the-hell particles and holy-shit paticles.
posted by Spock at 8:28 PM
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