RE: How onions have inspired particle physicists to design their detectors
I'm producing antimatter while typing this:
Some copy-paste from Wiki:
Positrons are produced naturally in β+ decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes (for example, potassium-40) and in interactions of gamma quanta (emitted by radioactive nuclei) with matter. Antineutrinos are another kind of antiparticle created by natural radioactivity (β− decay).
and
40K occurs in natural potassium (and thus in some commercial salt substitutes) in sufficient quantity that large bags of those substitutes can be used as a radioactive source for classroom demonstrations. In healthy animals and people, 40K represents the largest source of radioactivity, greater even than 14C. In a human body of 70 kg mass, about 4,400 nuclei of 40K decay per second
And from this source:
it turns out that bananas pop out a positron every 75 minutes or so
WTF! :D
Bananas contain potassium, about 400-450 mg per banana.
Some 5 mg of which is potassium 40.
There are 3 types of decay, boring Beta(-), positive electron capture and... Beta(+)
Radioactivity of banana is about 15 Bq (31 Bq per 1 g of K), or 1/15 s x 0.001 for Beta(+) x 0.01 to kill % ~ 115 minutes or so, 1/75 min myth seems ok...
My exclamation was more about thinking to the idea than the idea itself! :)
Just for other readers...