#3254: Detector

[Hairy is standing to the right of a large machine labeled "Detector". The front of the machine has two lights, labeled "Detected" and "Not detected". The "detected" light is lit up in green. Ponytail and Cueball walk towards the machine from the left.]

Ponytail: Over there are our electron microscope, XRF scanner, and mass spectrometer.

Ponytail: And this is our most sensitive detector.

Cueball: What does it detect?

[The next panel zooms in on the detector. Ponytail's voice comes from the left of the panel.]

Ponytail (off-panel): Lots of stuff.

Ponytail (off-panel): Gas, dust, particles, light, radio waves, gamma rays, protons, neutrons, electrons, fields, forces, events, potentials, or states.

[The next panel zooms out. Cueball and Ponytail are standing to the left of the machine, and Hairy on the right.]

Cueball: I don't understand. Aren't most of those always present?

Hairy: Yeah, it's been saying "detected" continuously since we turned it on.

[Cueball and Ponytail still standing to the left of the machine, and Hairy on the right. Ponytail has her hand on her chin.]

Cueball: What happens if it says "not detected"?

Ponytail: Oh gosh.

Hairy: That would be pretty bad, I think.