# How do we know they aren't actually squirreling away all this anti-matter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556 "2011-06-06T21:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556/1 "2011-06-06T21:57:51Z")
They say [they had if for only 16 minutes](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8558603/Scientists-trap-and-study-elusive-anti-matter.html), but how would anyone know if they just slipped it away somewhere, to sell it on the black market, or something, like North Korea with its nuclear secrets? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556/2 "2011-06-06T22:05:23Z")
Even if it was possible to store it for long periods (which it isn’t), all the anti-matter created in all of history wouldn’t be enough to pop a pimple. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556/3 "2011-06-06T22:19:54Z")
Although Beowulf beat me to the punch on the facts, I would like to add the this with a bit of a grin on my face… the following would play out like any classic Warner Bro’s cartoon featuring exploding cigars… ME: Hey, Kim Sung,… Pssssst! Antimatter! I got antimatter here, cheap! Kim Sung: I’ll take all you got! ME: Sure buddy, that’ll be $40 million. KS: I wirr onry pay you $30 mirrwen ME: Well, OK, but be sure and put a new battery in the magnetic containment feild generator before tooooo long KS: You not tell me what do! Helw are $30 mirrwen, give me antimattle NOW! (Holds out hands) ME: OK… (give small package to KS) Exit ME concealling giggles behind hands (Exit Rapidly) KS: This onry weigh 5 glams, I am gonna peak! And the ending, well it writes itself… Frankly, even if we could make enough, keep it long enough, most of the maniacs out there wouldn’t have the capacity to store it… think of it as a Darwin Award for silly terrorists… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556/4 "2011-06-06T23:08:12Z")
…although I’m now imagining antimatter-enabled squirrels. The effects on the forest biome would be horrendous! _chitter chitter_ _BLAM_ _chitter chitter_ :: scuttle up tree :: :: throw nut :: _BLAM_ ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-they-arent-actually-squirreling-away-all-this-anti-matter/584556/5 "2011-06-06T23:14:25Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > [A]ll the anti-matter created in all of history wouldn’t be enough to pop a pimple. > [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](#): > > …[M]ost of the maniacs out there wouldn’t have the capacity to store it.. think of it as a Darwin Award for silly terrorists.. Poor naive fools. You underestimate the evil ingenuity of SPECTRE. You laugh now, but… > [@Sunspace](#): > > …I’m now imagining antimatter-enabled squirrels. Exactly. Then you’ll see who laughs last.