See… this is the problem with writing science-fiction today is that just about anything I can come up with is already being done.
French scientists have devised a way of using particle accelerators to authenticate vintage wines, one of France’s top research bodies said this week.
The new method tests the age of the glass in wine bottles by analysing X-rays emitted when the bottles are placed under ion beams produced by a particle accelerator, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said in a statement.
“This enables the age of bottles and their origin to be verified and thus a vintage to be authenticated, a bit like the signature of a painter on a masterpiece, all without opening the bottle and without affecting in any way the content,” it said.
‘Bout time they figured out something useful for particle accelerators. Who’da thunk it would be the French and wine?!
“just about anything I can come up with is already being done”
Honestly, what I like is when scifi authors do the math and make a realistic guess on what these technologies will do to us as a society. Super technology with modern attitudes is Fantasy (just like swords and sorcery with modern attitudes). Hard SciFi must tell us how, why, and what it does to us. (“must” == to please me)
You make a very good point.
All that does is authenticate the age of the wine bottle. You could still put new wine in old bottles.
Sue
They can tell whether it has been opened.