Why are we producing antimatter when it is far more dangerous for humanity to produce than any other source?

Question

Even miniscule amounts must never come into contact with matter and must be stored in a permanently suspended state. So it seems the more that's created the more difficult it becomes us to store without "human error" potentially obliterating the planet.

Answer 1

You are probably unnecessarily concerned about recent publications stating that one ounce of antimatter, when combined with matter, has the destructive capability of a one megaton thermonuclear bomb. These announcements have not been sanctioned by the US government and should be ignored because they send the wrong message about how safe modern antimatter containment vessels are. You should report the source of such subversive communication to you nearest police department.

The hundreds of kilograms of antimatter stored in university laboratories in each of several locations around the country are absolutely necessary for the US to maintain its academic edge vs. foreign universities. In each facility, it is stored by magnetic containment fields which have a back-up generator in case of electrical power failure. The generator is required to be inspected annually by qualified technicians. The main power switch to the containment vessel is identified as such in large red letters so that it cannot be confused with nearby identical looking switches for things such as room lights and air conditioning. Although EEO laws prevent extra scrutiny being given to graduate students working in these labs of foreign decent, all students are exhaustively interviewed prior to employment to screen out any with malicious intent.

So you see, there is nothing to worry about :-)

Answer 2

The short answer is: when very small amounts of antimatter come into contact with matter, only very small amounts of energy are released.

What really happens is this: When we produce even a tiny, tiny bit of antimatter, it comes into contact with matter almost immediately (because we have no effective way to store it for more than a few seconds). When this happens, the resulting "explosion" is so tiny that it's basically unmeasurable without the use of sensitive equipment. The amount of energy released is far, far less than, say, a mote of dust landing on the floor.

But suppose we WERE able to store it for a long time, and then release its energy all at once? According to the website at CERN (one of the major producers of antimatter):

"If we could assemble all of the antimatter we've ever made at CERN and annihilate it with matter, we would have enough energy to light a single electric light bulb for a few minutes."

Answer 3

Stop watching too much "Star Trek". Antimatter produced on Earth is done so in very small quantities and any storage, if it happens to be done, is for brief periods of time. Antimatter particles, such as positrons are so miniscule in size it would take a sizable quantity of them to create a notable explosion.

Answer 4

The antimatter that's created in large particle accelerators annihilates with regular mater a fraction of a second after its creation. Trust me we aren't storing it. And we only create about 10^-11 grams per year