Overload of positrons joke from Eureka

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In summary, the conversation was about a physics joke made on the show Eureka, specifically in the episode S04 E02 - A New World. The joke involved an excess of positrons causing annihilation and violating conservation of electric charge, which made it impossible. However, the science in the show was often and intentionally wrong, making it just for entertainment purposes. The conversation also briefly mentions another example of this in the show with a fictional super material called crystalline glass.
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adimauro
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I was recently re-watching the show Eureka, and in this one episode, S04 E02 - A New World, they make an inside physics joke but never explain it.

Their robot went haywire and analyzed it to see what the problem was.
Fargo [to Jack]: I got the scans back on Tiny, you got to see this, it's hilarious. Look at those gamma signatures. It looks like there was an overload of positrons, I mean [laughing] like that's possible!
Henry: [walks over and laughs with Fargo]
Jack: [starts fake laughing, doesn't get the joke]
Fargo: Sort of a physics joke, because...I'll redo the scans.

Any insight into this joke? Is it because when a positron collides with an electron, annihilation occurs, so it's impossible? Or something else? Is there more to it than just that? Like Jack, I don't quite get the joke either.
 
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I don't see that humor is involved. Most fundamental, perhaps, is the possibiliy that an excess of positrons wouuld violate conservation of electric charge. Incidentally the science in Eureka was often and gratuitously wrong. They didn't even bother.
 
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hutchphd said:
the science in Eureka was often and gratuitously wrong.

Crystalline glass was one of the MacGuffins in an episode. It was some sort of super material. It is either impossible because crystalline and glass are opposites or they had quartz which is neat but not an indestructible substance.

BoB

Edit: I really enjoyed the show and would have liked to see more. I will admit though that the """science""" in scifi here needs as many air quote as possible.
 
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hutchphd said:
I don't see that humor is involved. Most fundamental, perhaps, is the possibiliy that an excess of positrons wouuld violate conservation of electric charge. Incidentally the science in Eureka was often and gratuitously wrong. They didn't even bother.
Yes, the 'science' in Eureka was most definitely often wrong! But I think they actually did it on purpose and made light of it by so often saying 'in theory' or 'theoretically' over and over again. It was entertainment and never meant to be taken too seriously.
 
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adimauro said:
never meant to be taken too seriously.
It was definitely flubber town.

BoB
 
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FAQ: Overload of positrons joke from Eureka

What is the "Overload of positrons" joke from Eureka?

The "Overload of positrons" joke from Eureka is a running gag in the popular science fiction TV show, Eureka. It refers to a situation where the town's genius scientists accidentally create too many positrons, leading to chaotic and often humorous consequences.

What is a positron?

A positron is a subatomic particle with the same mass as an electron, but with a positive charge. It is the antimatter counterpart to the electron and is typically produced in high-energy collisions.

Is there any scientific basis for the "Overload of positrons" joke?

While the show often takes creative liberties with scientific concepts, the idea of an "overload of positrons" is not entirely far-fetched. In particle accelerators, scientists must carefully control the number of positrons produced to avoid an overload, which can lead to unexpected results.

Why is the "Overload of positrons" joke funny?

The humor in the "Overload of positrons" joke comes from the absurdity of a small town's scientists accidentally creating a dangerous situation with their experiments. It also plays on the idea of scientists being so intelligent that they can accidentally create too much of a good thing.

Are there any other science jokes in Eureka?

Yes, there are many other science jokes in Eureka, as the show often incorporates scientific concepts and references into its plot and dialogue. Some other examples include the "Fermi paradox" joke and the "quantum entanglement" joke.

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