Science Friday Podcast Recap: Is It Possible to Make Matter From Light?

In 1934, physicists first came up with the theory that light could be turned into matter, and it remained merely a theory for decades. However, recently researchers have created something called a photon-photon collider that may serve as experimental evidence in support of this theory. London-based researcher and physicist Dr. Edward Hill discussed the photon-photon collider that he and his partners recently developed, capable of this monumental task first suggested by Albert Einstein. He discussed why many have not had success in the past with this creation of matter from light, pointing out why the laser-pointed-at-laser tactic has not worked before. He also detailed his experiment that overcomes the obstacles presented in the method commonly used by scientists before. In their study, they first create a bath of x-rays which emanate from a very high-power laser and point it at a minuscule golden can which focuses an immense amount of energy into an extremely small space. This allows each photons therein to possess more energy. After the creation of this can containing a sort of cloud of photons, a shorter laser is used and manipulated with the end result being a beam of gamma rays that is then pointed at the can. The gamma rays are then pointed at the can of x-ray photons, and once they collide, electrons are produced and detected.