The World's Smallest Movie - Moving Atoms

by cofty 4 Replies latest social entertainment

  • cofty
    cofty

    IBM moved individual atoms and magnified it 100 000 000 times to create an animated film. Absolutely stunning.

    ...

  • John_Mann
    John_Mann

    Fundamental particles manipulation is the biggest frontier of science. Great things ahead...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSCX78-8-q0

    I feel like seeing the 8-bit games again or an old Mickey Mouse cartoon...

  • Focus
    Focus

    cofty:

    IBM moved individual atoms

    John_Mann:

    Fundamental particles manipulation

    John, while what you said is not explicitly wrong, may I clear something up? "Atoms" are not fundamental particles, and have been proven not to be such for 115+ years.

    In current usage, "fundamental" particles are the same as "elementary" particles, which definitionally are particles, knowledge of whose sub-structure is either zero or minimal - or indeed it is hypothesized that no such sub-structure exists.

    Atoms very clearly do not qualify as their sub-structure, down at least one level (protons, neutrons, electrons), has been very well known for a long time. J.J. Thomson's proof that electrons existed dates from 1897. Theories re atomic sub-structure go back a further half-century.

    Leptons and quarks are fundamental particles, as per current understanding. They and their antitypes comprise the fermions and possess that which defines matter. Bosons are the other type (Higgs' one having been in the headlines) and they are a bit more complex to explain here.

    However, New Light is not only possible, but extremely likely. I'm tempted to say, certain.

    How far down we can involute is something we may never know. If we get to the "end", we won't know we have. The divide with metaphysics will get very blurry, down to Compton wavelengths and Planck-level minimum hops (that's a joke).

    As it happens, only a few weeks ago I was discussing the current state of string theory with a professor (at one of the world's three top universities for mathematical physics - and he'd say the top one, fullstop) specializing thereon.

    My knowledge thereof is, by comparison, very elementary, and it was fascinating to hear how fast discoveries are being made and how fast new theories are being generated. I'm probably still better than him at math, though. :p

    __

    Focus

    ("Bona-fide Physicist" Class)

  • John_Mann
    John_Mann

    I did not said atoms are the ultimate fundamental particles.

    Actually our model implies that we did not even reached the ultimate fundamental particle (I don't like Strings).

  • suavojr
    suavojr

    This video reminded me of what Michio Kaku said:

    Physicists are made of atoms. A physicist is an attempt by an atom to understand itself.

    Now, if this movie can help one thousand kids to pick science instead of religion. That would make me happy

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