My
contribution to particle physics is to demonstrate
that
real subatomic particles have
sex.
Please read on, kind reader.
When you ask someone what we are made of they
will say "atoms". But atoms are made
of smaller parts, this is why scientists can
"split" the atom. So atoms are not
really "
atoms" in the
sense of the indivisible constituents of matter
as the ancient Greeks defined them.
So lets delve deeper and deeper into what we
are "made of". We are made up of cells.
Billions of cells. Each cell is constructed
from a humongous number of molecular collections
of fuzzy atoms. These mysterious atoms are beady
little things, when you quaff a pint, you gulp
down about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
of these odd objects. We will never be able
to see what they look like in visible light
because they are far smaller than the wavelength
of visible light. We will zoom deeper into the
heart of matter...
The vast majority of the atom is an unbelievably
tenuous vacuum made up of electrons swarming
around the minuscule atomic nucleus. An analogy
is to think of the inside of a DJ's head: very
empty indeed. Another analogy is to think of
grapes darting about a melon at an average distance
of a kilometre. Electrons are are believed to
be fundamental particles. The nucleus however
is a complex entity. Zooming in...
The nucleus itself is
dense: millions
of millions of times more dense than lead -
think astrologers. The atomic nucleus can be
spherical, rugby ball shaped, oblate or potato
shaped. Or they can take the same form as my
life:
pear shaped. Zoom...
The nucleus is a seething horde of protons and
neutrons held together by particles called pions,
which they exchange. When they exchange pions,
protons and neutrons exchange their identities
at the same time.
Imagine that having sex
with the opposite sex causes you to swap your
gender with them. On second thoughts, perhaps
it is best not to imagine that. Anyway... the
protons and neutrons are free to move around
within the nucleus, hence the nucleus has been
compared to an exotic "drop of liquid".
Zoom...
Protons, neutrons and pions are not fundamental
either. Think of them as simple "molecules"
made of quarks instead of atoms. Quarks, like
electrons, are believed to be fundamental, they
are not composites of smaller particles. Our
atoms contain two types of quark, the "up"
and "down". These critters exchange
"gluons", which
glue quarks
together in groups of two (eg. pions) or three
(eg. protons and neutrons). Three naked quarks
exchanging gluey material zillions of times
a second?
So next time you look in the mirror, consider
for a while all the levels of staggeringly complex
matter you are made of. Atoms are just the start.
The laws of physics have permitted nature, over
the aeons of cosmology and evolution, to construct
your complex form. Your atoms don't care whether
you live or die. They would be just as merry
being crushed in the searing centre of the Earth
or swimming the freezing voids of intergalactic
space. Soon your atoms will be loyal to you
no more and will disperse for ever. You will
cease to exist. Imagine no pain. No loneliness.
No nookie. After all, where were you and your
atoms one hundred years ago?
But even the "fundamental" quarks,
electrons, photons, gluons etc. which make up
our atoms are amazing. They are nothing like
points or featureless specs of matter. They
are weird and good in bed. To find out why,
please surf on to the next page...
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| From: |
Mathew Love | Subject: | 2002-01-30 13:00:34 |
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