Positively Positronic

Regular readers know I have a pretty low opinion of the modern incarnation of NASA, but they still have occasional flashes of not-quite-incompetence. For example, here is an interesting article about using positron propulsion (a type of low-radiation antimatter annihilation) to power interplanetary spacecraft.

What is even more interesting is what led me to that article: this discussion on Jerry Pournelle's site, concerning the very recent discovery that thunderstorms produce these sort of positronic "jets," generating positrons via gamma radiation interaction with atomic nuclei, then shooting the resulting antimatter into space. From some of the descriptions, it's possible you've even seen them before; I'm pretty certain I have, and now I know what they are. (I'll sit out on the porch in a thunderstorm because I think they're really neat events. Watching one from a few miles away is even better. I'm just kooky that way).

Anyway, very cool stuff. Goeth thou and readest.