Thought 2

[Queso]

When i was enrolled in public school and learned about atoms (which was probably every single year) i learned (and this could be out dated) that we did not know what was in the center of an atom. it was clouded by spinning electrons and/or what-not.

 

i began to think about..well, whatever this is:

 

atom, planet, galaxy, universe, and whatever lies beyond.

i'm sure it just keeps going into other things of enormous size that we can not even begin to comprehend.

 

what about the insides of an atom, is there any of the slightest chance that a universe may rest in the center of an atom?

 

something i've thought about for years but never had the chance to ask. :shrug: :P

[rockytriton]

yea, when I was in my days of smoking the wacky weed every day, everyone I knew thought this same thing. I just figured that since we were a bunch of stoners, we all thought that way. There was a real good Simpsons intro where when they are sitting on the couch, the camera goes back until you see the house, the town, the country, the earth, the solar system, the milky way and eventually it turns into atoms and such until it gets right back to homers head and he just goes... "WHOA....."

[C1ay]

When i was enrolled in public school and learned about atoms (which was probably every single year) i learned (and this could be out dated) that we did not know what was in the center of an atom. it was clouded by spinning electrons and/or what-not.

Heck, I didn't realize you are that old orb. When I learned about the atom in public school 30+ years ago they taught us the inside was protons and neutrons. I think it was 7th or 8th grade science class. How long ago did you have this in school :shrug:

[infamous]

Morning to you Orby; You might try Googling "quarks", these are the building blocks that, untill something new comes along, make up most of all matter. We must also include the leptons, the electron would be one good example.

[C1ay]

Morning to you Orby; You might try Googling "quarks", these are the building blocks that, untill something new comes along, make up most of all matter. We must also include the leptons, the electron would be one good example.

What about gluons? Can't they come out and play too? :shrug:

[infamous]

What about gluons? Can't they come out and play too? :shrug:

Absolutely C1ay; and all of their other friends with them. A whole playground full of different friends. And let's not forget all their anti friends.

[bumab]

Those are the bullies, I assume?

 

:shrug:

[infamous]

Those are the bullies, I assume?

 

:shrug:

Not necessarily bumab, their just like us except their right hand is where our left hand is. Like looking in the mirror.

[C1ay]

Not necessarily bumab, their just like us except their right hand is where our left hand is. Like looking in the mirror.

Does that mean their head is down below too? :shrug:

[infamous]

Does that mean their head is down below too? :shrug:

Good question C1ay, but I don't think I want to know the answer to that one.

[Queso]

so we know that atoms are the smallest things, and we have absolutely no idea where the limit is. that is so fascinating.

[infamous]

so we know that atoms are the smallest things, and we have absolutely no idea where the limit is. that is so fascinating.

Actually orby, atoms are not the smallest things. Atoms are composed of many smaller articles that physics has evidence of and there exists the posibility that we have not even yet found the smallest particles that exist.

[Queso]

that's what i meant. quarks, protons, neutrons. those things are the smallest things. parts of an atom, whatever.

[C1ay]

so we know that atoms are the smallest things, and we have absolutely no idea where the limit is. that is so fascinating.

No. Atoms are comprised of electrons, protons and neutrons which are smaller than atoms and these particles are made of smaller particles called quarks and gluons. Who knows when we will have the technology to determine the makeup of quarks and gluons.

[Queso]

Oh Okay!

[Biochemist]

Oh Okay!

I was really impressed that no one brought strings into this yet.

 

Orb- a bunch of smart folks are pursuing the notion that the Theory of Everyting is resolved by characterizing tiny strings that show themselves as elementary particles or forces depending on the vibrational patterns.

 

C1ay is not convinced string theory holds water (understandably), but I am quite thrilled by the notion that the universe is this mass of little (very little: "Planck length", about 10^-35 meters) vibrating strings. We are just a bunch of vibrators. Ohhhh.

 

In 11 dimensions. 6 in Calabi-yau shapes.

 

And to quote Ray Bolger (the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz for you youths) "If I only had a brane" is the string theory theme song.