Saw the first 1.5 episodes of Legends of Tomorrow last night. I enjoyed the incongruity of "Love Will Keep Us Together" and the bar fight, although a jukebox in that type of bar would more likely have been playing Bad Company. Or maybe "Free Bird."

Stein: Alpha particles are highly trackable.

Ray: Yet unheard of in the 1970's.

I think tv writers make things up and think they made them up. "Okay, let's call this macguffin...uh...what's a Greek letter? Alpha? That sounds science-y. We'll call it an alpha particle!"

Alpha particles aren't highly trackable. They can be shielded by a piece of paper, or by a short distance of air.

It's gamma rays that have a lot of penetrating power, isn't it? Though I don't see how those would leave a residue you could track, they'd either be absorbed by nearby matter or expanding at lightspeed from the source point.

Tom and Matt are right. Geiger counters need to be, like, a centimeter away from the source to see alpha particles. Beta particles (which are basically electrons or positrons) can penetrate further, with gamma rays being the most able to penetrate (since they are high energy light waves).

For betas and gammas there would be a trail of ionized molecules as they were absorbed by nearby matter, and gammas you could detect with something that sees light at that frequency. Speed of light shouldn't matter because the source would be constant, like it doesn't matter when you see a flashlight in a dark room.

They should've just gone with tachyons.

Interesting factoid I teach my students. PET (positron emission tomography) scanners work by feeding a patient a radioactive isotope that produces positron beta particles as it decays. Positrons are antimatter electrons, so as soon as runs into a normal electron (like instantly) they annihilate themselves and the electrons producing energy in the form of gamma rays inside the body of the patient that a detector outside the body can track to provide diagnostic info. There is no word on whether the side effects of PET scans include anger management issues and a greenish tinge to the skin.

Thanks, I didn't realize gamma rays left ionized atoms in their wake.

DH and I both gasped when Waller got it. Did NOT see that coming. Thought there were some lovely scenes with Oliver and Felicity. Stephen Amell gives good Love-eyes.

I love it when y'all get all sciencey.

I'm finally catching up on the past few seasons of Doctor Who. I miss Amy and Rory. I don't like Clara. I despite the whole Clara leads a double life and actively lies to Danny.

Hated Clara was in love with the Doctor and freaked when he got old but there was Madame Vastra which was bonus points.

Not sure if I like the current Doctor. I mean I think I like Peter what his name's acting but the weird manic energy mixed with anger and attempts at detachment don't work for me. Or maybe because I'm sick.

I want...a companion that is not from current times and in her 20s and from Earth. Alien would be good. And more stuff going on in space. These episodes based around the school are way less interesting than the UNIT episodes.

I just watched Vincent and the Doctor. That was really lovely. If I weren't in tech I could probably finish S5 before it disappears from Hulu and Netflix, but I don't know that I can make that happen.