Been there, done that

Or the last refuge of a man driven insane by his childhood.

Found them.

We should do that if only because it looks insanely cool.

I don't know that you could really call this thing a "structure"- that generally brings to mind a building of some sort with walls, or a large monument; either way, you're talking about something solid. This is more akin to calling the cubic space that a cat's whiskers, and the space in between them, take up a "structure" as well. No- it's a network of detection devices tethered together.

There is a "your-mom" joke somewhere in that title, but the coffee hasn't kicked in yet today.

//Impressive structure/idea.

/Diabolical laughter

grinding_journalist: I don't know that you could really call this thing a "structure"- that generally brings to mind a building of some sort with walls, or a large monument; either way, you're talking about something solid. This is more akin to calling the cubic space that a cat's whiskers, and the space in between them, take up a "structure" as well. No- it's a network of detection devices tethered together.

In the same vein, a structure doesn't hunt. It just sits there like a big tank of liquid. Scientists hunt the recorded data for signs of neutrinos passing through. Also, didn't any women help make it?

Malacon: Or the last refuge of a man driven insane by his childhood.

Looks like you got a little herpe on your lip...

"It would take decades of work by thousands of scientists, and would need a particle accelerator powered by flaming grant money!"

It's going to cost billions of dollars to make, and all it will capture is a picture of a crab that someone will post to cuteoverload.com with the caption "Oh Hai!"

grinding_journalist: I don't know that you could really call this thing a "structure"- that generally brings to mind a building of some sort with walls, or a large monument; either way, you're talking about something solid. This is more akin to calling the cubic space that a cat's whiskers, and the space in between them, take up a "structure" as well. No- it's a network of detection devices tethered together.

No, it counts as a structure. Just look at the more basic definitions for the word:

struc·ture
noun/ˈstrəkCHər/
structures, plural
The arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex

The organization of a society or other group and the relations between its members, determining its working

A building or other object constructed from several parts

The quality of being organized

Hiowever, it's nowhere near being the "second-biggest structure in human history"; that's hyperbole without the flimsiest connection to fact. By the same definitions, any infrastructure such as roads and utilities (water, sewer, the bleeming Internet, etc) would count as structures and be far larger on the whole than this comparatively tiny little string of detectors.

FTFA: "The optical modules will be built to withstand six atmospheres of pressure, roughly equivalent to 20,000 feet below the surface of the sea"

Umm, I hope they manage a bit better than 6 atm if they want to put them down 20k feet. PMT's in neutrino telescopes are really expensive (new window)

And of course I have to pull the USA! USA! card and comment that Ice Cube's (new window) a lot cooler. Literally.

subby = Guybrush Threepwood

Glockenspiel Hero: FTFA: "The optical modules will be built to withstand six atmospheres of pressure, roughly equivalent to 20,000 feet below the surface of the sea"

Umm, I hope they manage a bit better than 6 atm if they want to put them down 20k feet. PMT's in neutrino telescopes are really expensive (new window)


They must mean 600 atm, as that's approximately the pressure at 20,000 feet under seawater.

Diogenes Teufelsdrockh: Hiowever, it's nowhere near being the "second-biggest structure in human history"; that's hyperbole without the flimsiest connection to fact. By the same definitions, any infrastructure such as roads and utilities (water, sewer, the bleeming Internet, etc) would count as structures and be far larger on the whole than this comparatively tiny little string of detectors.

That was more what I was thinking- TFA makes it sound like they're building THE BIGGEST WAREHOUSE EVER!!!! at the bottom of the sea, when in fact they're building a detector network that takes up a large VOLUME, but really isn't all that large, seeing as it's mostly empty space. (And yes, I know aircraft hangars are mostly space, but you can put things inside them.)

If we could just come up with a neutrino mirror, all our problems would be solved.