Comments on: And the Oscar goes to . . . the electron http://blogs.earthsky.org/jeremyshere/2008/02/25/and-the-oscar-goes-to-the-electron/ Science of the Weird Sat, 17 May 2008 07:01:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: Chris http://blogs.earthsky.org/jeremyshere/2008/02/25/and-the-oscar-goes-to-the-electron/#comment-238 Chris Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:17:58 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/jeremyshere/2008/02/25/and-the-oscar-goes-to-the-electron/#comment-238 Particle physicists (and atomic physicists) have known "what electrons are, how they behave and what happens when they collide with other particles" for over 50 years. I don't understand what you mean when you say that physicists could only detect electrons "indirectly" before because there is no other way to see them since they aren't light (photons). The experiment you cite is an indirect measurement. But we've had pictures of electrons for ages (look up cloud/bubble chambers). I just think you're blowing up the importance of this experiment and misrepresenting it. There paper is interesting, but I don't see any particle physicists (electrons are particles) caring. Particle physicists (and atomic physicists) have known “what electrons are, how they behave and what happens when they collide with other particles” for over 50 years. I don’t understand what you mean when you say that physicists could only detect electrons “indirectly” before because there is no other way to see them since they aren’t light (photons). The experiment you cite is an indirect measurement.

But we’ve had pictures of electrons for ages (look up cloud/bubble chambers). I just think you’re blowing up the importance of this experiment and misrepresenting it. There paper is interesting, but I don’t see any particle physicists (electrons are particles) caring.

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