Video ID: 3yVW7NRYD-I
YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yVW7NRYD-I
Added At: 13-06-25 21:18:30
Processed: No
Sentiment: Positive
Categories: Science, Tech
Tags: physics, particle accelerator, cancer treatment, innovation, medical technology, scientific breakthrough
Summary
• Physicist builds the world's smallest particle accelerator, which can fit on a dime. • The device shoots electrons down a channel of tiny silicone pillars and uses laser beams to create an electric field that zooms them to the other end. • The goal is to one day use this technology for highly targeted cancer treatments.
Transcript
physicist just built the world's smallest particle accelerator the whole thing is so small it can fit on a dime here's how this works and why it matters so you might have heard the name of a particle accelerator called the Large Hadron Collider. it's a 17m underground tunnel where they speed up particles to 99.999% the speed of light and then smash them together. this new particle accelerator is 54 million times smaller than that and instead of a big loop it shoots electrons down a channel of hundreds of tiny silicone pillars that are each just 2 micrometers tall. for reference 50 micrometers is the average diameter of a human hair. then this device fires laser beams at those pillars creating an electric field that zooms the electrons to the other end. the goal with this teeny tiny particle accelerator is to one day make it into a highly targeted way of killing cancer cells. they're imagining one day being able to put the teeny accelerator onto a scope into a patient's body to deliver really precise radiation. right now this accelerator is too weak. they'd need to make it much more powerful. but it's such an exciting proof of concept. if you like this video we have an episode coming up that you might like so follow for more...