vich

I'm just a casual pedestrian layperson to science. Subscribing to Scientific American is about the depth of my interest. But I'm fascinated with this exhibit that physically demonstrates the presence of cosmic particles, in real time! Not just a theoretical subjective notion that I wonder when science will overturn it, but actual particles that are landing 2 feet from me after passing through feet of concrete supports located just above this underground exhibit! I got to thinking, it would be fantastic to make it directional (3 dimensional). The thought just occurred to me last night in my sleep so for all I know the exhibit does show direction but I didn't know enough to look for it. As I recall, it's just a fairly shallow pool of ammonia based something something that makes a splash when hit by them. I guess it requires some faith that the "splash" is being caused by particles that have traveled the cosmos and not some spontaneous explosion of sorts, but it's still fascinating. For that matter, if I saw 2 (or more) separated layers of pools I could witness the simultaneous splashes from the same particles so that would remove all doubt of what I'm seeing. I don't know if cosmic particles would come in from straight above, mostly from the direction of the Sun, from the general direction of the Milky Way, from the direction of the Big Bang, or equally (aka: randomly) from all directions. I'm even so ignorant about it that I don't know if they can pass through an entire planet - surely a planet would stop most of them or at least disburse their direction. And; wouldn't the atmosphere deflect them a bit - or gravity bend them if they come if from the sides (something at least related to direction)? Whatever the answers; a simple thing like showing the direction would add a whole dimension to the exhibit. Direction would also surely be telling of something significant. Wouldn't it? Sorry for asking such dumb questions - it's just one of those thoughts a total layperson like myself has that is probably child's play for you folks in the science community to answer - or maybe you even find it humorous to hear being contemplated (that direction would need to be demonstrated or that we could truly conclude anything from it - ie: that it's actually significant). Anyway; what's a good reference that explains what I saw (too bad Griffith's website is so lacking in background references)? How about an explanation of what I would be seeing if it were built as a large layered cube to show direction? Cheers.