My grasp of science is fairly basic, I am sure, but nonetheless I spent the day waxing pragmatic about science and those little, semi-invisible things we call atoms. Now, I again want to assure you that I could not win the science edition of "Are You As Smart As A Fifth Grader." but here is what I was contemplating: the weight of an atom. I know, what a weird thing for a historian to contemplate! But, think about it...an atom of carbon (a basic building block of the universe) is believed to weigh about 0.00000000000000000000019942 grams. I do not claim to know what this number means, but it is way less than one millionth of a gram. A standard size goose feather is a virtual monstrosity in comparison, weighing in at a whopping .00125 pounds. In other words, it would take at least 1200 goose feathers to weigh one single pound. Regarding atoms, I have no idea how many atoms would be needed to make one pound of "matter." But I am thinking it would be quite a few...billion trillions!
Why was I waxing pragmatic about the weight of the atom? Actually, I suppose the reason was that with age, I am getting more curious about so many things that I do not understand. One thing that I am curious about, in a general sort of way, is the atom. And the curious thing to me about the atom is that something that weighs far less than zero grams can somehow combine with other atoms to make another something that might weigh from less than one micro-gram to millions of pounds. Whether we are looking at a glass of water or a battleship floating on the ocean, we still see two things made up of atoms...those small, nearly weightless things. How can atoms on the one hand be wet and fun to swim in, and on the other, form a huge vessel that withstands both storms at sea and the hell of warfare. Even the ground we walk on, our very own Earth, is made of atoms.
As I was reading a little about atoms just a day or two ago, I learned that as small as the atom is, the atom itself consists of 99.9 percent empty space. Another curiosity, yes? Just like with our universe, I believe. There are many objects in the universe, yet it appears to me that the universe itself is 99.9 percent empty space. It must be so, because of the many light years necessary to travel from earth to even the closest stars. And I thought about something as common as a coffee table one might have in his or her living room. This object is made up of many atoms...many universes? All of these atoms are vibrating at super frequencies...meaning that solid objects are not solid at all. Yet a given object feels solid, looks solid, and we humans believe the object is, literally, as solid as a rock! Scientists tell us this is NOT the case, however. The quantum physicist tell us that solid objects are just an illusion, that the reality in which we live is just our mind tricking us. Who knows, maybe we humans need the illusion of solidarity to keep us "grounded."
I did not reach any earth-shaking decisions or make any groundbreaking discoveries in my ruminations about the tiny building blocks of our universe, our planet, and of even of we humans ourselves. Well, actually I did reach one. The reality, my reality, is that I do not understand the mathematics of it all, the science behind it all. I just know that as time goes on, I realize that I do not know very much at all. And, given that all the things we see are just a collection of atoms spinning around each other, I guess it is true that nothing is really what it seems. Thus, my Thursday...spent waxing pragmatic about important things in life, such as how much atoms weigh, and how many goose feathers are needed to make a pound of fluff.
Why was I waxing pragmatic about the weight of the atom? Actually, I suppose the reason was that with age, I am getting more curious about so many things that I do not understand. One thing that I am curious about, in a general sort of way, is the atom. And the curious thing to me about the atom is that something that weighs far less than zero grams can somehow combine with other atoms to make another something that might weigh from less than one micro-gram to millions of pounds. Whether we are looking at a glass of water or a battleship floating on the ocean, we still see two things made up of atoms...those small, nearly weightless things. How can atoms on the one hand be wet and fun to swim in, and on the other, form a huge vessel that withstands both storms at sea and the hell of warfare. Even the ground we walk on, our very own Earth, is made of atoms.
As I was reading a little about atoms just a day or two ago, I learned that as small as the atom is, the atom itself consists of 99.9 percent empty space. Another curiosity, yes? Just like with our universe, I believe. There are many objects in the universe, yet it appears to me that the universe itself is 99.9 percent empty space. It must be so, because of the many light years necessary to travel from earth to even the closest stars. And I thought about something as common as a coffee table one might have in his or her living room. This object is made up of many atoms...many universes? All of these atoms are vibrating at super frequencies...meaning that solid objects are not solid at all. Yet a given object feels solid, looks solid, and we humans believe the object is, literally, as solid as a rock! Scientists tell us this is NOT the case, however. The quantum physicist tell us that solid objects are just an illusion, that the reality in which we live is just our mind tricking us. Who knows, maybe we humans need the illusion of solidarity to keep us "grounded."
I did not reach any earth-shaking decisions or make any groundbreaking discoveries in my ruminations about the tiny building blocks of our universe, our planet, and of even of we humans ourselves. Well, actually I did reach one. The reality, my reality, is that I do not understand the mathematics of it all, the science behind it all. I just know that as time goes on, I realize that I do not know very much at all. And, given that all the things we see are just a collection of atoms spinning around each other, I guess it is true that nothing is really what it seems. Thus, my Thursday...spent waxing pragmatic about important things in life, such as how much atoms weigh, and how many goose feathers are needed to make a pound of fluff.
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