Production and Decay of Strange Particles

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30th episode of the 1st season of The Outer Limits

"Production and Decay of Strange Particles"

The Outer Limits episode
Episode no.| Season 1
Episode 30
Directed by| Leslie Stevens
Written by| Leslie Stevens
Cinematography by| Kenneth Peach
Production code| 30
Original air date| April 20, 1964 (1964-04-20)
Guest appearances

* George Macready
* Rudy Solari
* Joseph Ruskin
* Leonard Nimoy
* Signe Hasso
* Robert Fortier

Episode chronology
| ← Previous
"A Feasibility Study"  | Next →
"The Chameleon"

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List of episodes

"Production and Decay of Strange Particles" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 20 April 1964, during the first season.

In a nuclear research plant, although the workers wear radiation suits, they are taken over by some odd glowing substance. It fills their suits and causes them to act like puppets.

The episode mentions many modern physics concepts such as neutrinos, antimatter, quasi-stellar objects (at that time just discovered and perhaps mentioned here in TV fiction for the first time) and subatomic particles with the property of "strangeness" (a quantum property of matter which had been named only a few years before by physicists, despite objection at the time that it was no more "strange" or odd than any other property of subatomic particles). The episode name echoes a Physical Review paper of 1956, titled "Cloud-Chamber Study of the Production and Decay of Strange Particles."[1]

## Opening narration

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In recent years, nuclear physicists have discovered a strange world of subatomic particles, fragments of atoms smaller than the imagination can picture, fragments of materials which do not obey the laws of gravity. Antimatter composed of inside-out material; shadow-matter that can penetrate ten miles of lead shielding. Hidden deep in the heart of strange new elements are secrets beyond human understanding – new powers, new dimensions, worlds within worlds, unknown.

## Plot

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Whilst experimenting on subatomic particles using waldos researchers inadvertently start a chain reaction that seemingly controls the researchers themselves. Scientist after scientist is subsumed, turned into what at first appear to be nuclear 'zombies' by a mass of sentient particles from another dimension. The truth however, is more terrible, for when one turns to face a colleague who has entered the hot zone to investigate, its faceplate displays naught but television snow... The still-human survivors in the lab fear they may be powerless to stop the eerily controlled chain reaction. Just as the ever-expanding particles are about to engulf the lab itself, the head of the research facility in a deux ex machina calculates a formula which reverses the effects of the reaction, incorporates a random element, and neutralizes the subatomic but sentient lifeform that had abruptly gained entry into our world.

## Closing narration

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As Man explores the secrets of the universe, strange and inscrutable powers await him. And whether these powers are to become forces of destruction or forces of construction will ultimately depend upon simple but profound human qualities: Inspiration. Integrity. Courage.

## Cast

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* George Macready – as Dr Marshall
* Signe Hasso – as Laurel Marshall
* Joseph Ruskin – as Collins
* Robert Fortier – as Paul Pollard
* Allyson Ames – as Arndis Pollard
* Rudy Solari – as Griffin
* Leonard Nimoy – as Konig
* Barry Russo – as Terrell
* Willard Sage – as Coulter
* Paul Lukather – as Official

## References

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1. ^ Trilling, G. H.; Leighton, R. B (1956). "Cloud-Chamber Study of the Production and Decay of Strange Particles" (PDF). Physical Review. 104 (6). American Physical Society: 1703–1710\. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.104.1703.1703-1710&rft.date=1956&rft_id=info:doi/10.1103/PhysRev.104.1703&rft.aulast=Trilling&rft.aufirst=G.+H.&rft.au=Leighton,+R.+B&rft_id=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/5387/1/TRIpr56.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Production+and+Decay+of+Strange+Particles" class="Z3988">

## External links

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* v
* t
* e

The Outer Limits episodes

1963 series
(episodes)|

| Season 1|

* "The Galaxy Being"
* "The Hundred Days of the Dragon"
* "The Architects of Fear"
* "The Man with the Power"
* "The Sixth Finger"
* "The Man Who Was Never Born"
* "O.B.I.T."
* "The Human Factor"
* "Corpus Earthling"
* "Nightmare"
* "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork"
* "The Borderland"
* "Tourist Attraction"
* "The Zanti Misfits"
* "The Mice"
* "Controlled Experiment"
* "Don't Open Till Doomsday"
* "ZZZZZ"
* "The Invisibles"
* "The Bellero Shield"
* "The Children of Spider County"
* "Specimen: Unknown"
* "Second Chance"
* "Moonstone"
* "The Mutant"
* "The Guests"
* "Fun and Games"
* "The Special One"
* "A Feasibility Study"
* "Production and Decay of Strange Particles"
* "The Chameleon"
* "The Forms of Things Unknown"

|

Season 2|

* "Soldier"
* "Cold Hands, Warm Heart"
* "Behold, Eck!"
* "Expanding Human"
* "Demon with a Glass Hand"
* "Cry of Silence"
* "The Invisible Enemy"
* "Wolf 359"
* "I, Robot"
* "The Inheritors"
* "Keeper of the Purple Twilight"
* "The Duplicate Man"
* "Counterweight"
* "The Brain of Colonel Barham"
* "The Premonition"
* "The Probe"

1995 series
(episodes)|

* "The Sandkings"
* "A Stitch in Time"
* "Simon Says"

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