3249: Neutrino Project
The Neutrino Project humorously depicts the construction of a pool intended for neutrino detection. The project organizers, Cueball and Ponytail, allegedly embezzled funds meant for scientific research to create a pool party instead. The article discusses the challenges and requirements for building an effective neutrino detector, including the need for substantial shielding from other particles.
- ▪Neutrinos are subatomic particles that rarely interact with matter, passing through objects without effect.
- ▪The project organizers embezzled funds for a pool party, later realizing the pool could serve as a neutrino detector.
- ▪Effective neutrino detectors require significant shielding and are typically built deep underground.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Neutrino Project|<< Prev#3249 (May 22, 2026) Title text: We definitely put the pool in a mine for shielding. It was absolutely not to hide it from the funding people.|<< PrevRandom Explanation Explanation[edit] This is one of 47 incomplete explanations:This page was created recently by a solar neutrino. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! A neutrino is a type of subatomic particle that extremely rarely interacts with matter. In nearly all cases, neutrinos pass through objects, regardless of density or composition, with no effects whatsoever unless there are so many of them. For instance, about 100 trillion neutrinos pass through your body every second to no noticeable effect.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Explain xkcd.