this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 43 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This may be an even better example than the positron. Originally a theoretical antimatter form of the common electron, with no practical application.

Turned out to be a vital tool for medical imaging. If you or someone you know has ever had a PET scan, now you know what the P stands for.

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I always thought it stood for "pepperoni." So, you're saying "PET" stands for "Positrons, Endives, and Tomatoes"?

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No it stands for animals you keep at home.

PET scan, its powered by hamsters.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I guess they decided CAT scan wasn't inclusive enough.

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

Cats were originally used for their curiosity, but training hamsters and eventually parakeets led to much smaller machines.