Burnout

摘要

The travellers hurtle towards Earth at close to the speed of light. Their origin is uncertain: some may have been born in mammoth supernovae far across the universe, travelling for millennia before reaching us. Yet in the time it has taken you to read this, billions of them have smashed into our planet's atmosphere, raining down sub-atomic shrapnel that is passing right through you. These travellers are cosmic rays, a source of intrigue for astronomers, particle physicists, space scientists... and the car industry. Car manufacturers are just the latest group to appreciate the importance of these mysterious particles. For decades physicists have known that high-energy cosmic rays and the particles they generate can contain enough energy to damage sensitive electronics. Yet we are packing our gadgets with larger numbers of ever-smaller circuits, and giving them ever greater responsibilities -from driving our cars to controlling drones and other robots. So can we continue to enjoy the benefits of powerful electronics without these other-worldly visitors compromising our safety?