quote:
Originally posted by capt_spoogy:
... phasers, disruptors - they just seem more "realistic" than meson bLasters - what are mesons anyway?
Mesons are the mediators of the strong nuclear force. The picture is that protons and neutrons are attracted because they toss mesons back and forth. Without the attraction of the strong nuclear force, the only thing left would be the repulsive electromagnetic forces between the protons (since "like charges repel"), and the nucleus would explode.
So presumably a meson bLaster would destabilize target nuclei. Imagine a group of jugglers who dislike each other, but they like juggling balls with each other enough to overcome their dislike. Then imagine the effect of throwing balls at them.