[El Gato]

think it got around DeLay because he's throwing the anti-gun nuts a bone that means nothing, but it would sound bad in the traditional media who know very little about guns or technology.

Dream on.

do you have any idea if they have any usuable practical anti-matter particles bigger than positrons?

IIRC, they've made pretty much all the anti-particles. Of course they don't stick around long, and storing anything larger than an anti-proton would be energically problematic, but I think they have stored substantial numbers of anti-protons. (That's harder than storing protons, because all that happens with a proton if your storage containment fails or leaks, is that it grabs an electron and becomes a hydrogen atom. An anti proton anillates a proton and you get a nice big gamma ray.)

[neverdem]

"IIRC, they've made pretty much all the anti-particles. Of course they don't stick around long, and storing anything larger than an anti-proton would be energically problematic, but I think they have stored substantial numbers of anti-protons. (That's harder than storing protons, because all that happens with a proton if your storage containment fails or leaks, is that it grabs an electron and becomes a hydrogen atom. An anti proton anillates a proton and you get a nice big gamma ray.)"

I obviously din't get to your previous comment. I was trained as chemist and now have reason to be familiar with PET scans because of my career. Do you know if they are routinely smashing protons, i.e. the typical hydrogen ion, with its less typical chemical form, i.e. the hydride ion, atomic hydrogen bearing an extra electron? That seems to be what your saying.