(Left click on HQ to watch in high quality!) This is the story of the greatest scientific discovery ever. The discovery that everything is made of atoms. The vast variety and richness of everything we see around us in the world and beyond, how it builts up, how it fits together is all down to atoms and the mysterious laws they obey. As scientist delved deep into the atom, into the very heart of matter, they unravelled Nature's most shocking secrets. They had to abandon everything they believed in and create a whole new science. A science that today underpins the whole of physics, chemistry, biology, and maybe even life itself. But for me, a story of how humanity solved the mystery of the atom is both inspiring and remarkable. It's the story of great geniuses of men and women driven by their thirst for knowledge and glory. It's a story of false starts and conflicts, of ambition and revelation, a story that leads us through some of the most exciting and exhilarating ideas ever conceived of by human race. And for a working physicist like me, it's the most important story there is... Prof. JIM AL-KHALILI
Marbles or Waves and Waves of WHAT??? Dr. Quantum (Fred Alan Wolf - Quantum physicist) explains Double slit experiment as the central mystery in Quantum physics
"And here we are! The grand daddy of all quantum weirdness. The infamous Double slit experiment! To understand the experiment we first need to see how particles or little balls of matter act. If we randomly shoot a small object, say a marble, at the screen we'll see a pattern on the back wall where they went through the slit and hit. Now, if we add a second slit, we would expect to see a second band duplicated to the right.
Now, let's look at waves. The waves hit the slit and radiate out, striking the back wall with the most intensity directly in line with the slit. The line of brightness on the back screen shows that intensity, this is similar to the line the marbles make. When we add a second slit, something different happens. If the top of one wave meets the bottom of another wave, they cancel each other out - so now there is an interference pattern on the back wall: places where the two tops meet are the highest intensity - the bright lines and where they cancel - there is nothing! So when we throw things, that is matter through two slits, we get this: two bands of hit and with waves we get an interference pattern of many bands. Good! So far.
Now, let's go quantum! An electron is a tiny, tiny bit of matter, like a tiny marble. Let's fire a stream through one slit, it behaves just like the marbles, a single band. So if we shoot these tiny bits through two slit we should get, like the marbles, two bands. What? An interference pattern! We fired electrons - tiny bits of matter through - but we get a pattern like waves, not like little marbles.
How? How could pieces of matter create an interference pattern like a wave? It doesn't make sense!
But physicists are so clever. They thought maybe those little balls are bouncing off each other and creating that pattern. So, they decide to shoot electrons through one at a time. There is no way they could interfere with each other. But after an hour of this the same interference pattern is seen to emerge!
The conclusion is inescapable - the single electron leaves as a particle, becomes a wave at potentials, goes through both slits and interferes with itself to hit the wall like a particle !
But mathematically it is even stranger - it goes through both slits and it goes through neither, and it goes through just one and it goes through just the other. All of these possibilities are in superposition with each other. But physicists were completely baffled by this! So, they decided to peek and see which slit the electron actually goes through! They put a measuring device by one slit to see which one it went through. But the quantum world is far more mysterious than they could have imagined - when they observed the electron went back to behaving like a little marble - it produced a pattern of two bands NOT an interference pattern!
The very act of measuring or observing which slit it went through meant it only went through one, not both. The electron decided to act differently. As though it was aware it was being watched!
And it was here that physicists stepped forever into the strange, never world of quantum events.
What is matter? Marbles or waves? And waves of WHAT? And what does an observer have to do with any of this? The observer collapsed the wave function simply by observing!"
The following is a quite nice alternative version of the same explanation:
"We now examine a phenomenon which is absolutely impossible to explain in any classical way and which is at the very heart of Quantum mechanics: The famous Double Slit experiment!..."
Does Quantum mechanics reflect the way nature really behaves or is it just a meaningless algorithm that happens to work?
Oh, it starts with James Clerk Maxwell and his laws we know so well. From lines of flux to waves of light and everything is swell. Then along comes guys like Schrödinger, Dirac and Fermi, too. And say goodbye to every thing you might have thought was true.
Quantum Mechanics! It might have several quirks but no one can deny the fact that quantum theory works.
Well quantum really ain't so tough as long as one can chew on a second-order, complex-valued partial diff-e.q. (differential equation) The secret to an understanding of duality is to know the thing that's "waving" is the probability.
Quantum Mechanics! Is ain't so tough, you'll see It's just a bunch of particles acting stochastically. (randomly, not statistically)
Uncertainty is not so odd as long as we're aware position and momentum are a Fourier transform pair. So anything that tightens our precision on the one the certainty about the other value gets undone.
Quantum Mechanics! It's strange and we agree but at least it's much simpler to learn than relativity! Quantum Mechanics! It might have several quirks but no one can deny the fact that quantum theory works![/I]
Quantum mechanics, the basis for modern discription of the physical structure of all matter is notorious unintuitive and hard to understand. Prominent physicists such as Richard Feinman claimed that nobody, including himself, understanding quantum mechanics – they just knows how to compute things in order to get predictions that fit the facts! There has been a strong culture of "shut up and calculate!" - i.e. do the math and don't worry too much about the philosophical issues - in quantum physics. Althouh "explaining Quantum mechanics without maths is like trying to convey the genius of Shakespeare without English!", trying to formulate quantum mechanical concepts in "everyday language", rather than by writing down mathematical expressions, makes one realise just how much we really don't understand about Quantum mechanics!
the glory of the atom begs a reverent word the primary design of the whole universe let us sing its praises let us bow our heads in prayer at the magnificent consciousness incarnate there
the smallest unit of matter with its orbiting electrons echoing off the solar system like a hawk in the hills at dawn the smallest unit of matter uniting bird and rock and tree and you and me
oh holy is the atom the truly intelligent design to which all of evolution is graciously aligned the one single structure to which everything distills the air, the wood smoke there, and the hills
oh leave me here surrounded by everything that's real far outside the boundaries of the digitized ordeal leave me here awake leave me here to heal
human beings are a cross between monkeys and ants you can see us from your spaceship melting the polar ice caps with our arrogance summon a congress of angels dressed in riot gear we've got ourselves a serious situation down here
I had a great great uncle who worked on the atomic bomb he got a nobel prize in physics and a place in this song and i bet there were no windows and no women in the room when they applied themselves to the pure science of doom
messing with the atom is the highest form of blasphemy whether you are making weapons or simply electricity someone fashion me a pulpit I have been called to engage with the maniacal heretics of the nuclear age
let the religious get religion let consumers get a clue let scientists get perspective let activists get their due let industry get a conscience let the earth inherit the meek let the divinity of nature speak
the glory of the atom begs a reverent word the primary design of the whole universe oh let us sing its praises let us bow our heads in prayer at the magnificent consciousness incarnate there...
Nearly a century after Danish physicist Niels Bohr offered his planet-like model of the hydrogen atom, a Rice University-led team of physicists has created giant, millimeter-sized atoms that resemble it more closely than any other experimental realization yet achieved. [/FONT]
Bohr offered the first successful theoretical model of the atom in 1913, suggesting that electrons traveled in orbits around the atom's nucleus like planets orbiting a star. Bohr's model led to a deeper understanding of both the chemical and optical properties of atoms and won him a Nobel Prize in 1922. But his notion of electrons traveling in discrete orbits was eventually displaced by quantum mechanics, which revealed that electrons don't have precise positions but are instead distributed in wave-like patterns.
"In a sufficiently large system, the quantum effects at the atomic scale can transition into the classical mechanics found in Bohr's model," said lead researcher Barry Dunning, Rice's Sam and Helen Worden Professor of Physics and Astronomy. "Using highly excited Rydberg atoms and a series of pulsed electric fields, we were able to manipulate the electron motion and create circular, planet-like states."
Using lasers, the researchers excited potassium atoms to extremely high levels. Using a carefully tailored series of short electric pulses, the team was then able to coax the atoms into a precise configuration with one point-like, "localized" electron orbiting far from the nucleus. In fact, the atoms are true atomic giants, with diameters approaching one millimeter.
"Our measurements show that the electrons remain localized for several orbits and behave much as classical particles," Dunning said. He said the work has potential applications in next-generation computers and in the study of classical and quantum chaos.[/SIZE][/COLOR]
DR QUANTUM: THE REALITY AS WE KNOW IT DOES NOT EXIST! "We, who are living in this incredible miracle we call the universe, have to begin to recognize that we are not just in it, we are it."
I cannot understand why Prof. Jim Al Khalili say that: "If you want to see fear in a quantum physicist's eyes, just mention the words: "the measurement problem". The measurement problem is this: An atom only appears in a particular place if you measure it. In other words, an atom is spreaded out all over the place until a conscious observer decide to look at it. So the act of measurement or observation creates the entire univeres." For me, the question of "matter and consciousness, which comes before and determines the other?" does not make any sense. I'm a faithful materialist, so I consider such idealists just idiots. I love material world and I know clearly that it is physically existing in objective reality, not something non-physical created by our soul. However, I agree that the reality may be very different from what we usually think of as matter that is everything we see, touch in our life. The reality may not be realizable but it is real and cannot comes from Dr. Wolf's mind.
Dr Brian Cox takes us on a journey through the history of particle physics.[/COLOR] Episode 1 of In Search of Giants: In this episode we learn that the Greeks knew about atoms and how Mendeleyev's periodic table was among the first clues that the atom had a deeper structure.
In this episode we learn how J.J. Thomson discovered the fist subatomic particle - the electron.
In this episode we learn how Ernest Rutherford conducted a historical experiment that revealed that most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in a tiny nucleus made of protons and neutrons.
This fantastic song is sung by Celine Dion and video is made by mzepcom. It's so inspirational! It make a great impact and inspiration to me. Thanks!
Deep within each heart There lies a magic spark That lights the fire of our imagination And since the dawn of man The strenght of just "I can" Has brought together people of all nations
There’s nothing ordinary in the living of each day There’s a special part every one of us will play
Feel the flame forever burn Teaching lessons we must learn To bring us closer to the power of the dream As the world gives us its best To stand apart from all the rest It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Your mind will take you far The rest is just pure heart You’ll find your fate is all your own creation Every boy and girl As they come into this world They bring the gift of hope and inspiration
Feel the flame forever burn Teaching lessons we must learn To bring us closer to the power of the dream The world unites in hope and peace We pray that it will always be It is the power of the dream that brings us here
There’s so much strength in all of us Every woman child and man It’s the moment that you think you can’t You’ll discover that you can
Feel the flame forever burn Teaching lessons we must learn To bring us closer to the power of the dream The world unites in hope and peace We pray that it will always be It is the power of the dream that brings us here
Feel the flame forever burn Teaching lessons we must learn To bring us closer to the power of the dream The world unites in hope and peace We pray that it will always be It is the power of the dream that brings us here
The power of the dream The faith in things unseen The courage to embrace your fear No matter where you are To reach for your own star To realize the power of the dream To realize the power of the dream
I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind
[Now] Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy.
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind.
BEAUTY (Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame) Beauty It seems a word invented for her When she dances revealing her body Like a bird spreading its wings to fly I feel hell is opening up under my feet
My eyes gazed under her gipsy dress What serves me still praying to Our Lady? Who Will cast the first stone at her? He who does not deserve to live
Oh Satan! Oh! Let me just once Pass my fingers through her hair Esmeralda
(Frollo, Priest of Notre Dame) Beauty Is she the devil incarnate? To divert my eyes from the Eternal Lord? Who has bewitched me with carnal desire To turn me from heaven above?
She carries in her the original sin Am I a criminal if I desire her? She Who all thought a whore, a girl of the street, Suddenly seems to carry humanity's burden
Oh! I beseech you Our Lady Oh! Allow me just once The entrance to Esmeralda's garden
(Phoebus, Captain of Guards) Beauty Behind those black eyes that cast a spell Could the girl still be a maiden? When she moves she makes me see mountains and wonders Underneath her rainbow-colored skirt
My betrothed, leave me one infidelity Before we're joined by God at the altar What Man could resist gazing at her At the risk of becoming transfixed?
Oh My Lilly Flower I am not a man to trust I'll pluck the flower of Esmeralda's love
(All three) My eyes gazed under her gipsy dress What serves me still praying to Our Lady? Who Will cast the first stone at her? He who does not deserve to live
Oh Satan! Oh! Let me just once Pass my fingers through her hair Esmeralda Esmeralda...
BELLE - ENGLISH VERSION (Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame) Belle, is the only word I know that suits her well When she dances oh, the stories she can tell A free bird trying out her wings to fly away And when I see her move I see the hell to pay
She dances naked in my soul and sleep won't come And it's no use to pray this prayers to Notre Dame Tell, who'd be the first to raise his hand and throw a stone I'd hang him high and laugh to see him die alone Oh Lucifer, please let me go beyond god's law And run my fingers through her hair Esmeralda
(Frollo, Priest of Notre Dame) Belle, there is a demon inside her who came from hell And he turned my eyes from god, and oh, I fell He put this heat inside me I'm ashamed to tell Without my god inside I'm just a burning shell
The sin of Eve she has in her I know so well For want of her I know I'd give my soul to sell Belle, this gypsy girl is there a soul beneath her skin And dies she bear the cross of all our human sin Oh Notre-Dame please let me go beyond god's law Open the door of love inside Esmeralda
(Phoebus, Captain of Guards) Belle, even though her eyes seem to lead us to hell She may be more pure more pure than the words can tell But when she dances feelings come no man can quell Beneath her rainbow coloured dress there burns the well
My promised one please let me one time be untrue Before in front of god and man I marry you Who would be the man who'd turn from her to save his soul To be with her I'd let the devil take me whole Oh, Fleur-De-Lys I am a man who knows no love I go to open up the rose Esmeralda
She dances naked in my soul and sleep won't come And it's no use to pray this prayers to Notre Dame Tell, who'd be the first to raise his hand and throw a stone I'd hang him high and laugh to see him die alone Oh Lucifer, please let me go beyond god's law And run my fingers through her hair Esmeralda Esmeralda...
PARALLEL WORLDS, PARALLEL LIVES Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives is a television documentary broadcast in 2007 on BBC Scotland and BBC Four, in which American rock musician Mark Oliver Everett talks with physicists and the former colleagues of his father - Hugh Everett - about his father's many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Actually, I'm not so ignorant to deceive myself into believing in such nonsense as this interpretation hahaha
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