Editing 1637: Salt Mine

{{comic
| number    = 1637
| date      = February 1, 2016
| title     = Salt Mine
| image     = salt_mine.png
| titletext = This one is a little bland. Pass the saltshaker?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This is a summary, not an explanation}}
Ponytail has built a particle detector in a salt mine, while Cueball and Megan are probably eating a form of rock salt.  When asked by Hair Bun Girl to explain why the particle detector has been built in the salt mine, Ponytail claims that the salt will block out cosmic rays; whether this will actually work is a matter of debate. Based on the wording of her response, it is clear that Ponytail knows about Megan and Cueball's ulterior motives, but either doesn't care or is planning to do the same thing.

This comic could be a reference to two unusual uses of salt mines. The first is the use of salt mines to house particle detectors such as the the Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven detector, started in Lake Erie in 1979. Placing a detector deep in a salt mine blocks out cosmic rays, which would interfere with detection. The IMB detector was initially used to search for proton decay in very pure water kept in the mine. Although the IBM became famous for detecting neutrinos from a supernova 1987a, it never observed a single proton decay out of 10^31 protons. At the time, even a single observation would have contributed to the Grand Unified Theory, predicting that protons eventually decay. In the comic, when Ponytail says "Yes, That's definitely why", it could refer to the large expectations that such detectors had promised. However, instead of building a detector in a salt mine to prevent interference from cosmic rays during the experiment, Ponytail built one in a salt mine because the salt is tasty. This is absurd, because pure mineral salt has an extremely strong taste. This is why salt is usually used as flavouring, and not as a food in of itself.

The second is the use of salt mines for exotic restaurants, such as the 'Wieliczka' Salt Mine, in Poland - a use for mines which is more rare than particle physics detectors. The Wieliczka mine contains a complete bar, hardwood seating, and gourmet chefs located 125m below ground. Dishes are seasoned with Wieliczka salt mine salt, and is used liberally in the selections. In the comic, Cueball and Megan are shown as possible employees of the particle detector, but are instead eating something with salt, which could be a humorous reference to scientists unable to find proton decay results and becoming distracted instead.

Notice that the title text says "This one is a little bland. Pass the saltshaker?", which implies Cueball and Megan are eating something other than salt that they would like to add salt to taste.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

{{comic discussion}}
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-[[Ponytail]] has built a {{w|particle detector}} (an expensive device used in experimental {{w|particle physics}}) in a {{w|salt mine}}. [[Hairbun]] assumes that this is to block out {{w|cosmic rays}}, as is the case with the real life {{w|Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven (detector)|Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven}} (IMB) detector, started in {{w|Lake Erie}} in 1979, or the {{w|Enriched Xenon Observatory}} (EXO), placed in the {{w|Waste Isolation Pilot Plant}} (WIPP) salt mine in 2007.
+{{incomplete|This is a summary, not an explanation}}
+Ponytail has built a particle detector in a salt mine, while Cueball and Megan are probably eating a form of rock salt.  When asked by Hair Bun Girl to explain why the particle detector has been built in the salt mine, Ponytail claims that the salt will block out cosmic rays; whether this will actually work is a matter of debate. Based on the wording of her response, it is clear that Ponytail knows about Megan and Cueball's ulterior motives, but either doesn't care or is planning to do the same thing.
-The IMB detector was initially used to search for {{w|proton decay}} in very pure water kept in the mine, and it was thus important to keep out cosmic rays that would create the same type of signal as a decaying proton. Although the IMB became famous for detecting {{w|neutrinos}} from {{w|supernova 1987a}} (which pass through virtually all materials, salt or lead etc. with only the smallest fraction of them interacting), it never observed a single proton decay out of the 10<sup>31</sup> protons present in the water of the detector. If it had detected even a single positive observation it would have contributed to the ratification of the {{w|Grand Unified Theory}}, which predicts that protons eventually decay. At the time of this comic the lower limit for proton half-life from {{w|Proton decay#Experimental evidence|experimental evidence}} is of the order 10<sup>34</sup> years.
+This comic could be a reference to two unusual uses of salt mines. The first is the use of salt mines to house particle detectors such as the the Irvine-Michigan-Brookhaven detector, started in Lake Erie in 1979. Placing a detector deep in a salt mine blocks out cosmic rays, which would interfere with detection. The IMB detector was initially used to search for proton decay in very pure water kept in the mine. Although the IBM became famous for detecting neutrinos from a supernova 1987a, it never observed a single proton decay out of 10^31 protons. At the time, even a single observation would have contributed to the Grand Unified Theory, predicting that protons eventually decay. In the comic, when Ponytail says "Yes, That's definitely why", it could refer to the large expectations that such detectors had promised. However, instead of building a detector in a salt mine to prevent interference from cosmic rays during the experiment, Ponytail built one in a salt mine because the salt is tasty. This is absurd, because pure mineral salt has an extremely strong taste. This is why salt is usually used as flavouring, and not as a food in of itself.
-Ponytail affirms Hairbun's assumption; however, based on the wording of her response, it is clear that Ponytail and her colleagues, [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]], have an ulterior motive of using the mine to get access to an enormous supply of {{w|salt}} for eating. This is absurd, since salt is already plentifully available in grocery stores, the cost of the particle detector far exceeds the value of the salt and their intake appears to be ''far'' beyond any medically-advised healthy limit (and likely to be sickening in other regards).
+The second is the use of salt mines for exotic restaurants, such as the 'Wieliczka' Salt Mine, in Poland - a use for mines which is more rare than particle physics detectors. The Wieliczka mine contains a complete bar, hardwood seating, and gourmet chefs located 125m below ground. Dishes are seasoned with Wieliczka salt mine salt, and is used liberally in the selections. In the comic, Cueball and Megan are shown as possible employees of the particle detector, but are instead eating something with salt, which could be a humorous reference to scientists unable to find proton decay results and becoming distracted instead.
-In the comic, when Ponytail says {{tvtropes|SureLetsGoWithThat|"Yes. That is definitely why,"}} it is obvious that when queried about the reason for building the detector, apparently to gain access to large quantities of salt, Ponytail is quick to leap on Hairbun's more scientific-sounding explanation, in an attempt to save face and appear professional.
+Notice that the title text says "This one is a little bland. Pass the saltshaker?", which implies Cueball and Megan are eating something other than salt that they would like to add salt to taste.
-The title text is intended to be absurd. Salt is normally used to add flavor to otherwise {{w|Bland diet|bland foods}}. However, the "bland" food that the speaker is eating is itself a chunk of salt, and they wish to season their salt with yet more salt. Additionally, the title text's wording is a bit ambiguous; "this one" could refer to the comic itself, and [[Randall]] is calling the comic bland. And, in keeping with the subject, is asking for salt to spruce it up, or it could refer to the detector planted inside the mine.
-This was the first of two comics this week that concerns one of the basic {{w|condiments}} for food, and also regards one of the five {{w|Taste#Basic_tastes|basic tastes}}. The second, about sugar, was [[1639: To Taste]]. Lately Randall has made several [[:Category:Food|food related comics]].
-Ponytail's response is very similar to Luke's in [[1397: Luke]].
 ==Transcript==
-:[Hairbun (with glasses), Ponytail, Megan and Cueball are in a salt mine. Hairbun and Ponytail talk in front of what appears to be a control console for a particle detector with a chair on each side. To the right Megan and Cueball are eating salt in large amounts straight of the rocks in the mine. They are eating so fast that salt spills from their hands and falls to the ground.]
+{{incomplete transcript}}
-:Hairbun: So you've built this particle detector in a salt mine to block out cosmic rays?
-:Ponytail: Yes.
-:Ponytail: That is definitely why.
-:Cueball and Megan: Homf nomf nomf
 {{comic discussion}}
-[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
-[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
-[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
-[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
-[[Category:Physics]]
-[[Category:Science]]
-[[Category:Food]]