Half-life definition

[VIAN]

I was searching the index of my Calculus book and found the word half-life. Half-life is the time for a material to decay to half it's original quantity.

Technical Crap
If I'm reading this correctly, the half-life formula is:

[-ln(2)]/k = t

where:

k = constant of proportionality of decay
t = time for half-life

Nontechnical Crap
Pretty cool. I'm most curious about the why half-life was chosen for the name of the game. Does the name play a part in the story as well? Or is it just a cool name?

Discuss.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: VIAN
Nontechnical Crap
Pretty cool. I'm most curious about the why half-life was chosen for the name of the game. Does the name play a part in the story as well? Or is it just a cool name?

Discuss.

I think they just chose it because it sounds cool and that most of the game is about a chemical reaction, to some extent.

 

[Farmer]

Half life has to do with radioactive isotopes, radioactive isotopes hurt you in Half Life. That is the missing link.

 

[Acanthus]

The only time i hear half life mentioned regularly is when carbon dating is being talked about.

Radioactive materials also have "half lives" (measurements for when they reach "half of their radioactivity" if you will).

 

[Nextman916]

I forgot what is was, i learned it freshman yr in 9th grade.

 

[Farmer]

Well, when they decay, they release atomic particles. Particles hurt Gordon Freeman and cause him to have cancer. That is the missing link.

 

[bamacre]

Funny, I always though Patrick Ewing was the missing link.

 

[Farmer]

bamacre:

He is, still, but he's got nothing on Gordon Freeman.

 

[Exsomnis]

The game is called Half Life because practically anyone who plays it will spend half their life addicted to it.

 

[Ctrackstar126]

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
The game is called Half Life because practically anyone who plays it will spend half their life addicted to it.

 

[Xyclone]

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
The game is called Half Life because practically anyone who plays it will spend half their life addicted to it.

 

[lxskllr]

In the original Halflife the game took place at Black Mesa. Wasn't that a nuclear testing, and development facility?

 

[Robotoer]

In addition to the Half life name, there's also the symbol, which is lambda, the upsidown y. I think that means wavelength in science

 

[Modeps]

VIAN, if you just learned the term half-life, and you're taking Calc... you should have paid more attention in Science class.

 

[VIAN]

Never did like science much.

And yes the lambda represents wavelength.

wavelength = speed of light / frequency

IIRC

 

[The Green Bean]

Half life is the time that it takes a substance to reduce its radioactivity by half.

 

[gorcorps]

I'm almost positive that half life doesn't *have* to relate to radioactivity. My professors use half life to talk about viruses, red/white blood cells, etc.