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Subtitles

00:00:00
have you ever wondered about the
00:00:03
foundations of our reality
00:00:07
what if I told you that the world around
00:00:10
us is governed by mysterious particles
00:00:13
and invisible dimensions
00:00:16
would you believe me
00:00:18
nothing could be further from the truth
00:00:22
yet the nature of the forces and
00:00:24
elements that shape our universe is
00:00:27
unknown to us
00:00:29
admittedly
00:00:31
scientific advances over the last few
00:00:33
centuries have enabled us to understand
00:00:36
in detail
00:00:38
the events that unfold on a macroscopic
00:00:42
scale
00:00:43
but when we venture onto smaller scales
00:00:47
it's as if we're entering a parallel
00:00:50
reality whose workings Escape us
00:00:54
in this world of the infinitely small
00:00:56
the laws of physics and relativity we
00:01:00
know no longer apply
00:01:03
instead we find strange sometimes
00:01:07
invisible particles interacting in such
00:01:10
mysterious ways that we find it hard to
00:01:14
believe they actually work
00:01:17
quantum physics string theory
00:01:20
supersymmetry
00:01:22
the uncertainty principle
00:01:25
so many Expressions that attempt to
00:01:28
describe the mechanisms of this
00:01:30
invisible reality to make it easier to
00:01:33
understand
00:01:36
unfortunately
00:01:38
some parameters still elude us
00:01:41
and it's possible that Mankind's
00:01:44
intellectual capacities will never allow
00:01:48
us to tame the events at the heart of
00:01:50
atoms
00:01:52
that said as long as the mystery remains
00:01:56
research will continue
00:02:00
each Discovery inevitably raises its own
00:02:03
set of questions
00:02:05
by probing the microscopic World
00:02:09
scientists have been able to venture
00:02:11
deep into Nature's smallest universe
00:02:15
while a few decades ago we thought that
00:02:18
atoms were the Inseparable building
00:02:20
blocks of matter today we know that
00:02:24
these elements are home to an incredible
00:02:27
bestiary of particles
00:02:30
quarks gluons Higgs bosons neutrinos
00:02:35
photons
00:02:37
it's enough to make you dizzy
00:02:40
to say that these elements are minuscule
00:02:44
is an understatement
00:02:46
to understand this let's compare scales
00:02:51
observations of the cosmos tell us that
00:02:55
the diameter of the observable universe
00:02:57
is around 93 billion light years
00:03:02
until recently the number of galaxies in
00:03:06
the universe was estimated at between
00:03:08
100 and 200 billion
00:03:11
according to the latest estimates there
00:03:14
are in fact 2 000 billion
00:03:18
in fact our Milky Way is just a tiny
00:03:21
drop in the cosmic ocean
00:03:24
yet from our perspective its dimensions
00:03:27
are inordinate
00:03:29
it's estimated to be over one hundred
00:03:32
thousand light years across
00:03:35
that's enough to house between 200 and
00:03:38
400 billion stars
00:03:41
and probably more than 100 billion
00:03:44
planets
00:03:46
among these stars is our sun
00:03:49
nearly 700 000 kilometers or 430 000
00:03:54
miles in radius
00:03:56
that's around 10 to the ninth power
00:03:59
times the diameter of the Earth
00:04:03
our beautiful blue planet gigantic to
00:04:07
our eyes is in reality invisible in this
00:04:11
Cosmos
00:04:13
for if the solar system were a city 20
00:04:17
kilometers across
00:04:19
the Earth would be little more than a
00:04:21
grape
00:04:22
and yet more than 8 billion human beings
00:04:26
now live on it
00:04:28
but then again appearances are deceptive
00:04:31
for a man is far from occupying all the
00:04:35
space available on Earth
00:04:37
if we were to group together all the
00:04:40
human beings currently living here they
00:04:43
would fit on an area equivalent to the
00:04:46
city of Los Angeles
00:04:48
so compared to a modestly sized
00:04:52
terrestrial planet man is a grain of
00:04:55
sand
00:04:57
if this scale comparison gives you a
00:05:00
slight headache just wait for the next
00:05:03
part
00:05:04
because it's possible to go much further
00:05:08
each human being however microscopic
00:05:12
compared to the cosmos is made up of
00:05:15
around thirty thousand billion cells
00:05:19
and these tiny cells observable only
00:05:23
under the microscope are themselves made
00:05:27
up of one hundred thousand billion atoms
00:05:31
this figure varies greatly from cell to
00:05:34
cell
00:05:35
but it's still completely excessive
00:05:39
wait we can go even further
00:05:42
if we look at the heart of atoms we'll
00:05:45
be amazed to discover that their 99.9
00:05:49
percent empty
00:05:52
in other words the elementary particles
00:05:54
that give life to atoms occupy just 10
00:05:58
to the minus 14 power percent of their
00:06:01
structure
00:06:03
we can say it matter is theoretically
00:06:07
made up of nothingness
00:06:09
it sounds crazy but hidden in this
00:06:13
nothingness are tiny elements of the
00:06:15
quantum world that give life to the
00:06:18
reality we know
00:06:20
and although we are made of atoms their
00:06:23
profound nature seems even more distant
00:06:26
than the confines of the observable
00:06:28
universe
00:06:30
so the infinitely small conceals many
00:06:34
Mysteries
00:06:35
[Music]
00:06:36
dear traveler good morning
00:06:39
today we're off to explore the heart of
00:06:41
matter in the infinitely small
00:06:45
together we'll try to unravel its
00:06:48
Secrets by literally looking deep inside
00:06:51
ourselves
00:06:53
but before we set off on a new adventure
00:06:55
remember to like the video and subscribe
00:06:59
to the channel so you don't miss a thing
00:07:02
thank you and have a great trip
00:07:09
before embarking on our journey into the
00:07:12
world of the infinitely small we must
00:07:15
first take a look at the world around us
00:07:18
as you know it is governed by physical
00:07:21
laws that seem immutable
00:07:24
these include Albert Einstein's general
00:07:27
relativity Newtonian mechanics and
00:07:31
Maxwell's classical electromagnetism
00:07:35
but to get down to the quantum scale
00:07:37
you'll have to forget a lot of these
00:07:40
General truths
00:07:42
in this world we observe intriguing
00:07:45
phenomena that are not taken into
00:07:48
account by the classical laws of our
00:07:51
reality
00:07:52
would you like an example
00:07:54
well in that case do you know anyone who
00:07:58
is both dead and alive
00:08:01
apart from in George Romero zombie films
00:08:04
this is quite impossible
00:08:07
these two states are quite distinct
00:08:10
nobody can be both dead and alive
00:08:14
at least in the literal sense of the
00:08:16
word
00:08:17
but in quantum physics things are quite
00:08:20
different
00:08:21
a particle can exist simultaneously in
00:08:26
several different states
00:08:28
this phenomenon is known as Quantum
00:08:32
superposition
00:08:33
[Music]
00:08:36
it's perfectly illustrated by the famous
00:08:39
Schrodinger cat thought experiment
00:08:42
formulated by the physicist of the same
00:08:44
name in 1935.
00:08:47
in this experiment we imagine
00:08:51
a hermetically sealed box containing a
00:08:53
cat
00:08:54
a vial of poison
00:08:57
a device for detecting radioactive
00:08:59
particles and a piece of radioactive
00:09:03
material
00:09:04
when the radioactive material Decay is
00:09:07
it triggers the detection device
00:09:10
shattering the poison vial and killing
00:09:13
the cat
00:09:15
according to quantum physics before the
00:09:19
Box is open for measurement the state of
00:09:21
the system the cat the radioactive
00:09:24
material and the poison is described by
00:09:28
a Quantum superposition
00:09:31
this means that the cat is theoretically
00:09:33
in a state of superposition both dead
00:09:37
and alive until the box is opened
00:09:42
obviously this funny experiment doesn't
00:09:45
reflect reality on a macroscopic scale
00:09:49
but it does help us to understand
00:09:52
the phenomenon of superposition specific
00:09:55
to subatomic particles
00:09:58
do you find it strange
00:10:01
well we've only just scratched the
00:10:04
surface of The Oddities lurking in the
00:10:06
realm of the infinitely small
00:10:09
within it we also find quantum
00:10:12
entanglement
00:10:15
[Music]
00:10:18
this law tells us that when two
00:10:21
particles are entangled their Quantum
00:10:23
states are inseparably linked regardless
00:10:27
of their spatial distance
00:10:29
and if two particles are in a state of
00:10:32
entanglement only a measurement will
00:10:35
tell us which final State they will
00:10:37
adopt
00:10:39
a measurement made on one of the two
00:10:42
particles will instantly affect the
00:10:44
state of its twin particle even if the
00:10:47
two are separated by great distances
00:10:52
it's as if the two entities could
00:10:54
communicate immediately
00:10:57
at an instantaneous speed that exceeds
00:11:00
the speed of light challenging the laws
00:11:03
of modern physics
00:11:05
we call this a phenomenon of
00:11:08
non-locality
00:11:10
all this may seem very complex to you
00:11:13
and so it should
00:11:16
quantum physics is totally
00:11:18
counter-intuitive
00:11:20
so much so that more than one physicist
00:11:24
is torn his hair out trying to unravel
00:11:26
its secrets
00:11:28
but don't worry we'll be coming back to
00:11:31
the specifics of quantum physics in
00:11:33
Greater detail as we continue our
00:11:36
journey
00:11:37
in the meantime let's get back to the
00:11:41
macroscopic world around us
00:11:43
[Music]
00:11:46
like Erwin Schrodinger we too are going
00:11:50
to conduct a thought experiment
00:11:52
and to do so we're going to imagine that
00:11:56
we have the ability to grow and Shrink
00:11:59
at will
00:12:00
a bit like Marvel's superhero Ant-Man
00:12:04
with this power we can travel close to
00:12:07
Mount Everest the highest mountain
00:12:10
formation in the Earth's crust
00:12:13
its highest point is almost 9 000 meters
00:12:17
or 29 500 feet above sea level
00:12:23
so we're going to grow until we reach
00:12:26
that height
00:12:27
let's just say that this will be our
00:12:30
starting point for our descent to
00:12:33
microscopic scales
00:12:35
but to shrink we need different frames
00:12:38
of reference
00:12:40
in this case after the highest natural
00:12:42
formation it makes sense to head for the
00:12:46
largest human Construction
00:12:49
for that we need to go to Dubai to the
00:12:53
Burj Khalifa
00:12:56
this gigantic Tower is 828 meters or
00:13:00
2700 feet high
00:13:03
now let's go down another level and
00:13:06
measure up to the largest animal on
00:13:08
Earth
00:13:09
namely the blue whale
00:13:12
a whale that can reach 30 meters or 100
00:13:15
feet in length and weigh close to 200
00:13:18
tons
00:13:20
and this same whale feeds on plankton a
00:13:24
collection of very small organisms that
00:13:26
live in aquatic environments
00:13:29
their size varies considerably according
00:13:32
to the type of organism
00:13:34
but the smallest of them measures no
00:13:37
more than a few micrometers
00:13:39
that's one thousand times smaller than a
00:13:42
millimeter
00:13:44
thanks to our superpowers we can shrink
00:13:48
to the size of microplankton to observe
00:13:51
them
00:13:52
we're tiny now
00:13:54
but we're still a long way from the atom
00:13:58
like bacteria and other single cell
00:14:01
organisms where the size of a cell but
00:14:05
we've yet to scale up to the size of a
00:14:07
virus
00:14:09
yes viruses are much smaller than
00:14:12
bacteria
00:14:13
although the two are often wrongly
00:14:16
associated
00:14:17
bacteria are micrometers in size so
00:14:22
they're easy to observe under an optical
00:14:24
microscope
00:14:26
for viruses things are very different
00:14:29
viruses measure between 20 and 300
00:14:32
nanometers
00:14:34
they are therefore between 10 and 100
00:14:38
times smaller than a cell
00:14:40
but make no mistake
00:14:43
this ridiculously small size makes them
00:14:46
extremely dangerous
00:14:48
these microscopic entities are composed
00:14:51
of genetic material such as DNA or RNA
00:14:56
they are then said to be intracellular
00:14:59
parasites as they reproduce inside the
00:15:03
host cells they infect
00:15:06
although they are not considered living
00:15:08
beings they can still replicate and
00:15:11
propagate autonomously
00:15:15
anyway back to our descent into the
00:15:18
world of the infinitely small
00:15:21
if we take the size of the smallest
00:15:23
viruses I.E around 20 nanometers were
00:15:28
still Giants compared to the elementary
00:15:30
building blocks that make up matter the
00:15:33
famous atoms
00:15:36
their size varies according to the
00:15:38
element in question
00:15:40
but overall they are of the order of 10
00:15:44
to the minus 10 power meters
00:15:47
or 100 picometers or 0.1 nanometer
00:15:54
this is particularly true of the
00:15:56
hydrogen atom composed of just one
00:15:59
proton and one electron
00:16:03
it is two times smaller than a carbon
00:16:06
atom whose diameter is around 0.2
00:16:10
nanometers
00:16:12
that said talking about the diameter of
00:16:15
an atom is a gross simplification
00:16:19
in reality its size is determined by the
00:16:23
distribution of electrons around the
00:16:25
atomic nucleus
00:16:27
most of an atom's mass is concentrated
00:16:30
in its nucleus which is itself made up
00:16:33
of protons and neutrons
00:16:36
electrons on the other hand are much
00:16:39
lighter and occupy a much larger volume
00:16:44
so the size of an atom is determined by
00:16:47
the volume the electrons can occupy
00:16:50
around the nucleus
00:16:53
this is the electron cloud
00:16:56
the electrons always remain at fixed
00:16:59
Quantified distances
00:17:01
these are called outer electron layers
00:17:06
all this may seem rather complex to you
00:17:10
to illustrate this distribution let's
00:17:14
take an example with elements on a
00:17:16
macroscopic scale
00:17:18
[Music]
00:17:20
imagine that the Moon is an electron and
00:17:23
the Earth is the nucleus of an atom in
00:17:27
this hypothesis the moon can orbit the
00:17:29
Earth but only on certain well-defined
00:17:32
radii
00:17:34
also imagine that the moon does not move
00:17:37
on a two-dimensional plane but on the
00:17:40
surface of a sphere
00:17:43
its position takes into account all
00:17:46
three dimensions of space but always
00:17:49
with a fixed distance from the earth
00:17:51
corresponding to the various external
00:17:55
electronic layers
00:17:57
the moon can potentially be found
00:18:00
anywhere on one of these layers with
00:18:04
greater or lesser probabilities of
00:18:06
presence in certain places
00:18:09
and the only way to know its exact
00:18:12
position is to take a measurement
00:18:16
by repeating the measurements a large
00:18:18
number of times we can then estimate the
00:18:22
probability of presence for each zone of
00:18:24
each layer
00:18:25
[Music]
00:18:26
it's exactly the same principle with the
00:18:30
electrons that gravitate around Atomic
00:18:32
nuclei
00:18:34
this uncertainty about their presence is
00:18:37
purely Quantum in nature
00:18:40
in reality the moon does not behave at
00:18:44
all like an electron its position can be
00:18:47
determined with great Precision simply
00:18:50
by calculation and without direct
00:18:53
observation
00:18:55
but due to the quantum nature of
00:18:57
electrons their exact position at a
00:19:01
given moment is always unknown if no
00:19:03
measurements are taken
00:19:05
in physics this is called an atomic
00:19:08
orbital
00:19:10
this is a mathematical function that
00:19:13
gives us the probability of an
00:19:14
electron's presence around a nucleus in
00:19:17
a given region
00:19:19
keep these explanations in mind as they
00:19:22
will be useful for the rest of our
00:19:24
journey
00:19:25
they also help us to understand why
00:19:29
atoms falsely represented as marbles are
00:19:33
in fact mainly made up of vacuum
00:19:37
[Music]
00:19:41
to better understand this let's return
00:19:44
to our hydrogen atom and shrink it down
00:19:47
to its size of 0.1 nanometers
00:19:51
at this point we're fast approaching the
00:19:54
infinitely small
00:19:57
at 0.1 nanometers were smaller than
00:20:01
mankind is in relation to the sun
00:20:04
to understand
00:20:06
just how disproportionately small atoms
00:20:09
are we can also give the following
00:20:12
estimate
00:20:14
the body of an average adult would
00:20:16
contain one hundred thousand times more
00:20:20
atoms than there are stars in the entire
00:20:23
observable universe
00:20:25
in other words something like 7 times 10
00:20:29
to the 27th power atoms
00:20:32
when you hear these figures your brain
00:20:34
may be on fire
00:20:37
but to really observe the smallest known
00:20:39
elements of matter we still have to go
00:20:42
all the way down to its heart
00:20:45
and once again the drop is dizzying
00:20:49
as we said the hydrogen nucleus is made
00:20:53
up of a single proton
00:20:55
this proton is not a picometer but a
00:20:59
femtometer
00:21:00
that's 10 to the minus 15th power meters
00:21:05
to be more precise the size of a proton
00:21:09
is
00:21:10
0.877 femtometers
00:21:14
hydrogen's core is therefore 10 000
00:21:18
times smaller than the atom itself
00:21:21
to give you an image if hydrogen's
00:21:24
Atomic Cloud where the diameter of a
00:21:27
soccer stadium its nucleus would be no
00:21:30
bigger than a marble placed in the
00:21:33
center of the pitch
00:21:35
as for the electron it is considered an
00:21:38
elementary particle I.E it is not made
00:21:41
up of smaller parts
00:21:44
it is very difficult to estimate its
00:21:46
size which has never been precisely
00:21:49
determined
00:21:51
however scientists agree that it would
00:21:54
be less than 10 to the minus 22 power
00:21:57
meters
00:21:58
so to return to our soccer stadium
00:22:01
example if the proton is a marble in the
00:22:05
middle of the pitch the electron would
00:22:08
be no bigger than the smallest virus
00:22:12
just as we are unable to imagine the
00:22:16
infinite expanse of our universe we are
00:22:19
unable to conceptualize the size of the
00:22:22
most Elementary particles
00:22:25
in any case after this formidable
00:22:29
descent into the realm of the infinitely
00:22:31
small we can now Plunge Into the Heart
00:22:33
of atoms
00:22:39
we are now on the scale of atoms
00:22:43
but before we discover what's hidden
00:22:45
deep inside them let's first take a look
00:22:48
at how they behave in relation to each
00:22:50
other
00:22:52
as you probably know all the matter
00:22:55
around us is made up of atoms and
00:22:57
molecules
00:22:58
we can interact with it and our bodies
00:23:01
are subject to the same laws of physics
00:23:05
hypothetically there are also other
00:23:07
forms of matter that don't interact with
00:23:10
the atoms we know
00:23:13
the most famous of these is dark matter
00:23:16
but to avoid getting lost in the limbo
00:23:19
of the material world will concentrate
00:23:22
solely on known matter
00:23:25
as we've just explained everything
00:23:28
around us is made up of atoms your body
00:23:31
the food you eat the clothes you wear
00:23:34
the air you breathe or even the screen
00:23:37
on which you're watching this video
00:23:40
but to form the countless types of
00:23:42
elements we know atoms have to come
00:23:45
together and combine
00:23:48
this is how molecules are born
00:23:51
for example a hydrogen atom can bond
00:23:54
with another hydrogen atom to form
00:23:57
dihydrogen
00:23:59
two hydrogen atoms can also bond with an
00:24:02
oxygen atom
00:24:04
to form a dihydrogen monoxide molecule
00:24:07
in other words a water molecule
00:24:11
it's as if each atom were a Lego brick
00:24:14
with its own shape
00:24:16
bricks can be assembled by certain
00:24:19
forces
00:24:20
deconstructed by others and reassembled
00:24:23
to create a new element
00:24:25
this cycle of creation and destruction
00:24:28
is happening all the time all around us
00:24:32
sometimes it gives rise to small
00:24:35
molecules like dihydrogen dioxygen or
00:24:39
even dinitrogen
00:24:41
each composed of just two atoms
00:24:45
but in other cases the molecules created
00:24:49
are extremely long and complex
00:24:52
these are known as macromolecules
00:24:56
this is particularly true of polymers
00:24:59
long chains of molecules with
00:25:01
interesting physical properties
00:25:04
there are natural polymers such as the
00:25:07
starch and cereals or the nucleic acids
00:25:11
in DNA
00:25:12
there are also synthetic polymers the
00:25:16
famous Plastics such as polystyrene
00:25:20
but one of the largest molecules is a
00:25:23
natural protein called Titan or
00:25:26
connectin
00:25:28
it's also the largest known protein
00:25:31
it plays a crucial role in muscle
00:25:34
structure and elasticity
00:25:37
if you want to name it by its scientific
00:25:40
name you'll need a lot of Courage
00:25:42
because its name is made up of over 64
00:25:46
000 letters
00:25:48
as for its size it can reach several
00:25:51
micrometers in length due to the thirty
00:25:54
thousand or so amino acids that make it
00:25:57
up
00:25:58
all this makes us wonder about the
00:26:01
forces that enable such tiny atoms to
00:26:04
bind together to form elements as
00:26:07
complex as they are strong
00:26:10
naively enough we might think of gravity
00:26:15
unfortunately its intensity is linked to
00:26:18
the mass of the objects
00:26:21
since atoms have virtually zero Mass
00:26:24
this hypothesis is out of the question
00:26:28
but then how do they relate to each
00:26:30
other
00:26:34
well to find out we'll have to go back
00:26:37
to our physics and chemistry lessons
00:26:40
let's start with the best known Bond the
00:26:44
covalent bond
00:26:46
in a covalent bond atoms share one or
00:26:50
more pairs of electrons to achieve a
00:26:52
more stable electronic configuration
00:26:55
the shared electrons create a mutual
00:26:58
attraction between the atom's nuclei
00:27:00
thus maintaining the bond
00:27:04
to put it more simply it's as if two
00:27:07
atoms pooled their resources in this
00:27:10
case electrons to guarantee their
00:27:13
stability
00:27:15
let's call it an exchange of courtesies
00:27:18
if you will
00:27:20
the covalent bond is the strongest and
00:27:24
most widespread Atomic Bond
00:27:27
but they're also so-called ionic bonds
00:27:30
based on the same principle
00:27:33
here atoms transfer all or part of their
00:27:37
electrons to form positive and negative
00:27:40
ions
00:27:43
an ion is simply an atom that carries a
00:27:46
positive or negative charge due to a
00:27:49
lack or surplus of electrons gravitating
00:27:53
around it
00:27:54
yes electrons are particles with a
00:27:58
negative electrical charge
00:28:01
as a result the force of attraction
00:28:04
between ions of opposite charge hold
00:28:07
atoms together
00:28:09
do you still follow
00:28:11
normally yes because so far we haven't
00:28:15
tackled very complex subjects
00:28:18
however when our journey takes us into
00:28:21
the Realms of quantum phenomena things
00:28:24
are likely to get a little more
00:28:25
complicated
00:28:27
but back to our bonds
00:28:30
in addition to ionic and covalent bonds
00:28:34
there are also metallic bonds
00:28:38
in this case atoms release their
00:28:41
electrons and the layer furthest from
00:28:43
the nucleus
00:28:44
this is called the valence shell
00:28:48
the electrons thus released spin between
00:28:51
the metal atoms creating an
00:28:54
electrostatic attraction between the
00:28:56
positively charged ions
00:28:59
the result is the solid malleable
00:29:03
structure is typical of metals
00:29:06
perhaps you're also familiar with Van
00:29:09
Der waals forces
00:29:11
these are exerted between molecules at
00:29:14
Short distances but their impact is
00:29:17
rather weak compared to the previous
00:29:20
bonds
00:29:22
they are due to Temporary fluctuations
00:29:24
in the distribution of electric charges
00:29:28
creating an attraction
00:29:31
finally there are hydrogen bonds
00:29:35
these come into play when a hydrogen
00:29:38
atom bonds to a highly electronegative
00:29:41
element
00:29:42
in other words an element capable of
00:29:46
strongly attracting electrons to itself
00:29:49
examples include oxygen nitrogen and
00:29:54
fluorine
00:29:56
in this configuration the hydrogen atom
00:29:59
develops a slight positive charge as its
00:30:03
electron is partially captured by
00:30:06
another atom
00:30:08
this creates an electrostatic Bond known
00:30:12
as a hydrogen bond
00:30:14
these bonds are stronger than Van Der
00:30:17
waals forces and are at the root of many
00:30:20
biological and chemical phenomena
00:30:23
for example
00:30:25
they enter water to form droplets that
00:30:28
adhere to surfaces
00:30:30
it is also this force that enables
00:30:33
geckos to climb walls
00:30:37
hydrogen bonds are even involved in the
00:30:39
stability of proteins in the structure
00:30:42
of DNA
00:30:43
so without even getting to the heart of
00:30:46
atoms we can see that they are
00:30:49
incredibly complex
00:30:52
they obey forces of their own which give
00:30:55
rise to the laws of matter that we
00:30:58
observe on our own scale yet are unable
00:31:01
to understand
00:31:03
and now that we've seen how many atoms
00:31:06
behave in relation to each other it's
00:31:09
time to continue our journey by
00:31:12
observing them in isolation
00:31:15
just as there are large individuals and
00:31:17
smaller ones atoms come in many
00:31:20
different forms
00:31:22
these shapes are characterized by the
00:31:25
number of electrons they possess and the
00:31:28
elements that make up their nuclei
00:31:32
these elements are called nucleons but
00:31:35
you probably know them better as protons
00:31:38
and neutrons
00:31:40
the more nucleons an atomic nucleus
00:31:43
possesses the more massive the atom that
00:31:47
carries it
00:31:48
in fact hydrogen with just one proton is
00:31:53
the lightest atom
00:31:55
as for the heaviest atom its uranium-238
00:32:00
its nucleus contains 92 protons and 146
00:32:04
neutrons
00:32:07
despite being the most massive of the
00:32:10
atomic bestiary its mass remains
00:32:13
ridiculously low on our scale
00:32:16
around 4 to the 10 to the minus 25 power
00:32:19
kilograms
00:32:22
and if you're wondering about its
00:32:24
diameter it's 350 picometers
00:32:28
or
00:32:29
0.35 times 10 to the minus 10 power
00:32:33
meters
00:32:35
and yet it Remains the king of all atoms
00:32:39
found in nature
00:32:41
other even more imposing elements have
00:32:44
been created in the laboratory
00:32:47
not least organism officially the
00:32:51
heaviest element on the periodic table
00:32:54
artificially synthesized for the first
00:32:57
time in 2002
00:32:59
it is highly unstable
00:33:02
disintegrating in less than a
00:33:04
millisecond
00:33:06
today many scientists believe that it is
00:33:09
impossible to create a new heavier
00:33:12
element but others maintain the opposite
00:33:16
in any case to avoid making things
00:33:20
unnecessarily complex we'll continue our
00:33:23
adventure at the heart of a simple atom
00:33:26
the oxygen atom
00:33:30
thank you
00:33:33
the oxygen atom contains 16 nucleons
00:33:38
that's eight protons and eight neutrons
00:33:42
around this hard core gravitate eight
00:33:46
electrons
00:33:48
these form what is known as the atom's
00:33:51
peripheral cloud
00:33:54
since electrons are negatively charged
00:33:56
particles they are attracted to
00:33:59
positively charged protons
00:34:02
a bit like the North and South poles of
00:34:05
a magnet attracting each other
00:34:07
in fact this electrostatic attraction
00:34:12
maintains the atom's structural
00:34:14
Integrity in perfect charge balance
00:34:18
and yes while atoms bind together via
00:34:22
various cohesive forces other forces are
00:34:25
also at work to ensure their stability
00:34:29
let's do some Elementary physics
00:34:33
at present it is estimated that four
00:34:36
major forces govern our universe
00:34:39
these are known as the fundamental
00:34:42
interactions
00:34:44
on a macroscopic scale the two most
00:34:48
prevalent interactions are gravitation
00:34:51
and electromagnetism
00:34:54
but at the center of atoms other forces
00:34:57
take over
00:34:59
these are the strong and weak nuclear
00:35:01
interactions
00:35:03
strong interaction holds the atomic
00:35:06
nucleus together
00:35:09
this extremely powerful force acts
00:35:12
between nucleons
00:35:14
it holds protons together despite the
00:35:18
electrostatic repulsion due to their
00:35:21
positive charge
00:35:23
to take the example of magnets again
00:35:26
you've no doubt already tried sticking
00:35:30
two magnets with the same poles together
00:35:32
which tend to repel each other
00:35:36
here we can make the following analogy
00:35:40
the magnets that repel each other are
00:35:42
the protons and your hands that exert
00:35:45
pressure to stick them together are the
00:35:48
strong nuclear force
00:35:51
just as gravitation is insured by
00:35:55
gravitational waves the existence of
00:35:58
which was recently demonstrated
00:36:00
the strong nuclear force is insured by
00:36:04
strange particles called gluons
00:36:07
don't worry we'll come back to this in
00:36:09
the next part of our Atomic Odyssey
00:36:13
as for the weak nuclear forces they act
00:36:16
between leptons and quarks
00:36:19
in simple terms leptons are simply
00:36:23
Elementary subatomic particles like
00:36:26
electrons
00:36:28
quarks are the building blocks of
00:36:30
protons and neutrons
00:36:33
weak nuclear forces are responsible for
00:36:36
certain types of radioactive decay
00:36:39
in which one particle is transformed
00:36:41
into another
00:36:43
bees are mediated by other subatomic
00:36:47
elements called bosons
00:36:50
once again we'll explain all this in
00:36:53
more detail
00:36:55
as we turn our attention to the forces
00:36:58
that maintain the internal organization
00:37:01
of atoms we slowly begin to scratch
00:37:04
their surface
00:37:06
this microscopic excavation allows us to
00:37:10
discover many more of the strange
00:37:13
particles mentioned above
00:37:15
now it's time to continue our
00:37:18
exploration and meet the subatomic
00:37:20
particles
00:37:22
a formidable bestiary of small
00:37:26
mysterious Elements which are
00:37:28
nonetheless at the origin of the reality
00:37:31
in which we evolve
00:37:32
[Music]
00:37:35
let's take a look back at our journey so
00:37:38
far
00:37:39
our observable universe is about 93
00:37:42
billion light years across
00:37:44
within this Cosmic immensity our
00:37:47
galaxies which cluster together in
00:37:50
clusters
00:37:52
galaxies usually a hundred thousand
00:37:56
light years across contain an incredible
00:37:59
quantity of stars Stellar gas and dust
00:38:03
these Stars millions of kilometers
00:38:06
across usually capture planets in their
00:38:10
orbits
00:38:11
and we know for sure that one of them
00:38:14
contains life our beautiful blue planet
00:38:19
everything we can see with the naked eye
00:38:21
from the tallest skyscrapers to the
00:38:24
tiniest fleas is on the so-called
00:38:28
macroscopic scale
00:38:30
then there's the microscopic World which
00:38:34
can only be seen through a microscope
00:38:37
that is with Dimensions smaller than 0.1
00:38:41
millimeter
00:38:44
but if we go further down as we have
00:38:47
done we find that living beings are made
00:38:50
up of cells
00:38:52
these in turn are made up of DNA itself
00:38:56
made up of smaller elements
00:38:59
but what are molecules if not an
00:39:01
assembly of atoms
00:39:03
and what are atoms if not a bubble a
00:39:06
vacuum in which electrons of an elusive
00:39:09
nature move around a nucleus of nucleons
00:39:13
all governed by strong and weak
00:39:16
fundamental nuclear interactions
00:39:20
this descent into the world of the
00:39:23
infinitely minuscule is already
00:39:25
incredibly dizzying
00:39:27
and yet it's possible to go even further
00:39:31
yes even further than if we were to go
00:39:35
to the very edge of the observable
00:39:37
universe
00:39:39
on such a scale the journey seems
00:39:42
infinite
00:39:43
for at the heart of protons and neutrons
00:39:46
we find yet more Elementary particles
00:39:50
the famous quarks
00:39:53
[Music]
00:39:55
while ancient Greeks such as Democritus
00:39:58
and epicurus had theorized about the
00:40:01
notion of atoms in their time without
00:40:03
being able to validate this hypothesis
00:40:07
the word would be revived many years
00:40:10
later in the 18th century
00:40:13
scientific progress had made it possible
00:40:16
to prove the existence of these
00:40:18
Elementary building blocks of matter
00:40:21
physicist John Dalton was one of the
00:40:24
first to revive the concept of the atom
00:40:27
in the 1800s
00:40:30
subsequently other scientists such as JJ
00:40:33
Thompson
00:40:35
Ernest Rutherford and Albert Einstein
00:40:37
validated and enriched this hypothesis
00:40:41
it would be demonstrated that the atom
00:40:44
is not unbreakable or indivisible as the
00:40:47
Greeks thought but rather that it is a
00:40:50
mainly empty body in the strictest sense
00:40:53
of the term
00:40:54
composed of an electrically charged
00:40:56
nucleus around which electrons move
00:41:00
Einstein also demonstrated the wave
00:41:03
corpuscle duality of particles such as
00:41:06
photons laying the foundations for
00:41:09
quantum physics
00:41:11
yet little did these Brilliant Minds
00:41:14
realize that the atom was not the end
00:41:17
but a new gateway to an even more
00:41:20
complex world
00:41:22
the so-called subatomic universe
00:41:26
and its main occupant is none other than
00:41:28
the cork which we mentioned earlier
00:41:32
let's take a closer look at the cork
00:41:35
it will be an excellent introduction to
00:41:37
the subject before we go on to discover
00:41:39
more about its congeners
00:41:44
[Music]
00:41:46
first of all it's important to remember
00:41:48
that a quark is not a single entity it's
00:41:52
a term used to describe a group of
00:41:54
fundamental particles
00:41:56
we speak of fundamental particles when
00:41:59
they cannot be divided into smaller
00:42:01
parts
00:42:02
at least not according to our current
00:42:04
knowledge
00:42:06
quarks are therefore considered the
00:42:09
elementary building blocks of matter
00:42:12
they are responsible for the formation
00:42:14
of protons neutrons and other subatomic
00:42:18
particles
00:42:19
[Music]
00:42:20
the discovery of quarks dates back to
00:42:23
the 1960s when physicists Marie Gelman
00:42:27
and George zwig independently propose
00:42:30
the theory soberly entitled Quark Theory
00:42:35
they put forward the hypothesis that
00:42:38
protons neutrons and similar particles
00:42:42
were made up of smaller indivisible
00:42:45
particles
00:42:47
it wasn't until 1975 that the first
00:42:51
Quark was observed experimentally thanks
00:42:54
to cern's particle gas pedal
00:42:58
this technological feat is located on
00:43:01
the French Swiss border near Geneva and
00:43:04
is also known as the Large Hadron
00:43:07
Collider or LHC
00:43:10
a circular tube 27 kilometers or 18
00:43:15
miles long buried underground it
00:43:18
accelerates particles to near light
00:43:21
speeds until they collide
00:43:24
the result is a microscopic shock but
00:43:28
one of unprecedented violence enabling
00:43:31
matter to be fragmented to reveal its
00:43:34
constituent parts
00:43:35
[Music]
00:43:36
but let's get back to our little quarks
00:43:40
we currently know six types the last of
00:43:43
which was discovered in 1997.
00:43:46
here's the list one up quarks two down
00:43:51
quarks Three Strange quarks four charm
00:43:56
quarks five top quarks six and bottom
00:44:01
quarks
00:44:03
each of these quarks has unique
00:44:05
properties
00:44:06
these include Mass electric charge and
00:44:09
spin
00:44:11
their charge is said to be fractional
00:44:14
corresponding to either two-thirds or
00:44:16
minus one-third of the charge of an
00:44:19
electron
00:44:20
as for spin it's important to Define
00:44:23
this notion as its ubiquitous in
00:44:26
particle physics
00:44:28
it's a Quantum property that indicates
00:44:30
how a particle interacts with its peers
00:44:33
and with magnetic fields
00:44:35
it can be seen as a kind of internal
00:44:38
rotation of particles
00:44:40
to give a concrete example let's take
00:44:43
the Earth's motion around the Sun
00:44:46
our planet revolves around it it moves
00:44:49
in an orbit with a certain speed
00:44:51
this corresponds to its momentum
00:44:55
but the Earth also rotates on itself
00:44:58
the quantity associated with its
00:45:01
rotation is called its angular momentum
00:45:04
in quantum physics the Notions of speed
00:45:07
and position no longer make sense
00:45:10
this is the uncertainty principle but
00:45:14
we'll come back to that later
00:45:16
however angular momentum retains a
00:45:19
certain relevance albeit in a more
00:45:22
abstract sense
00:45:24
spin is therefore the equivalent of
00:45:27
angular momentum but on a Quantum scale
00:45:32
for example the electron has a spin of
00:45:35
one half
00:45:36
this means it can exist in two different
00:45:39
states spin up and spin down
00:45:42
it's as if it had two possible types of
00:45:45
internal rotation and only two
00:45:49
we can imagine these two states as
00:45:51
arrows pointing in opposite directions
00:45:55
the importance of spin lies in the fact
00:45:58
that it determines how electrons
00:46:00
interact with each other and with other
00:46:02
particles
00:46:04
for example in the magnetization of a
00:46:07
material electrons with spins aligned in
00:46:10
the same direction help to create an
00:46:14
overall magnetic field
00:46:16
spin is a complex concept but it
00:46:20
describes a fundamental property of
00:46:22
particles
00:46:23
it plays a crucial role in various
00:46:26
Quantum phenomena that translate to the
00:46:30
macroscopic scale
00:46:32
so much for physical properties
00:46:38
now pay close attention because things
00:46:41
get complicated
00:46:43
together the six types of Quark form a
00:46:47
large family of Elementary particles
00:46:49
hadrons
00:46:52
but within this family there are two
00:46:54
classes of particles
00:46:56
first there are the baryons made up of
00:46:59
an indissociable system of three quarks
00:47:02
like protons and neutrons
00:47:05
this is why the classical matter that
00:47:08
surrounds us is called baryonic matter
00:47:13
then there are misons
00:47:16
these are formed by a bizarre system of
00:47:19
an even number of quarks and anti-corks
00:47:23
all known quarks belong to one of these
00:47:26
two classes
00:47:28
it is impossible to find an isolated
00:47:31
cork in its natural state as would be
00:47:35
the case for an electron for example
00:47:38
so quarks always form combinations
00:47:40
called hadrons
00:47:43
this very special property is known as
00:47:46
hadron confinement
00:47:49
a name that has the Merit of being clear
00:47:53
earlier we spoke of the strong
00:47:55
interaction that holds protons together
00:47:58
in the nuclei of atoms
00:48:01
but in reality this interaction affects
00:48:04
the quarks themselves
00:48:07
in fact the quarks of a single proton
00:48:10
are Neutron remain welded together to
00:48:14
form hadrons as they are constantly
00:48:16
exchanging bosons
00:48:19
a word of advice
00:48:21
take notes if you don't want to lose
00:48:23
track of the story
00:48:25
the term boson also covers a group of
00:48:28
particles
00:48:29
these particles act as vectors for the
00:48:32
transmission of the four Great Universal
00:48:35
forces
00:48:36
gravitation electromagnetism
00:48:40
the strong nuclear interaction and the
00:48:43
weak nuclear interaction
00:48:45
the bosons responsible for the strong
00:48:48
interaction are called gluons
00:48:52
this term suits them quite well since
00:48:55
light glue they keep the elementary
00:48:57
building blocks of matter together
00:49:00
don't worry we'll be coming back to the
00:49:02
bosons behind the other three
00:49:04
interactions shortly
00:49:06
with each passing moment the bosons at
00:49:10
the heart of matter Exchange gluons
00:49:13
this exchange takes place within
00:49:16
nucleons themselves to ensure the
00:49:19
cohesion of hadrons but also between
00:49:22
nucleons and the same atomic nucleus to
00:49:26
keep them welded together
00:49:28
at very short distances as is the case
00:49:32
at the subatomic level the strong
00:49:35
interaction is more intense than
00:49:37
electromagnetism
00:49:40
as a result protons despite their
00:49:43
repelling electric charges remain
00:49:46
grouped together
00:49:48
this interaction is so powerful that in
00:49:52
theory it would take an infinite Force
00:49:54
to break up a triptych of quarks like
00:49:57
those at the heart of nucleons
00:50:00
this explains why no single Quark is
00:50:04
found
00:50:05
today quarks are considered the ultimate
00:50:09
subdivision of matter
00:50:12
however this statement is problematic as
00:50:15
it limits many theories that attempt to
00:50:17
solve the mysteries of quantum physics
00:50:21
the most popular being string theory
00:50:24
but again we'll have time to come back
00:50:27
to this in more detail in a few moments
00:50:30
[Music]
00:50:34
after quarks and more generally hadrons
00:50:38
the other major family of subatomic
00:50:40
particles is that of leptons
00:50:43
this group includes our famous electrons
00:50:47
but as you'd expect
00:50:49
leptons also come in different classes
00:50:52
first there are electron leptons or
00:50:56
electrons
00:50:57
then there are muonic leptons or muons
00:51:01
and finally there's the Tau lepton
00:51:06
each of these three leptons is
00:51:08
associated with a neutrino another
00:51:10
elementary particle with almost zero
00:51:13
mass and a neutral electric charge
00:51:16
[Music]
00:51:18
among leptons we have a total of six
00:51:20
particles
00:51:22
one the electron two the muon three the
00:51:27
Tau particle also called Taiwan four and
00:51:32
the three neutrinos specific to each of
00:51:34
these entities
00:51:36
leptons are also stable particles they
00:51:40
interact mainly via electromagnetic and
00:51:43
weak forces
00:51:45
they are not subject to the strong
00:51:47
nuclear force which is responsible for
00:51:50
the cohesion of atomic nuclei
00:51:54
leptons like quarks have only two types
00:51:58
of charge
00:51:59
zero or minus one
00:52:02
because of their charge and Mass
00:52:04
properties leptons play a crucial role
00:52:07
in nuclear reactions and radioactive
00:52:10
decays
00:52:12
they form the basis of particle creation
00:52:15
and Annihilation processes
00:52:18
what's more they are of great importance
00:52:21
and understanding the fundamental
00:52:24
interactions in the universe
00:52:26
for example neutrinos have recently been
00:52:30
recognized for their role in
00:52:32
astrophysical phenomena such as
00:52:34
supernovas neutrons stars and black
00:52:37
holes
00:52:38
they are also being studied to
00:52:41
understand the expansion of the universe
00:52:48
we've talked about leptons and hadrons
00:52:51
but we've also started to talk about
00:52:54
another type of subatomic particle
00:52:56
bosons
00:52:58
these could be described as the vectors
00:53:01
responsible for transmitting the four
00:53:03
Great Universal forces to the other
00:53:06
particles
00:53:08
to illustrate this with an image we
00:53:10
could say that leptons and hadrons are
00:53:13
bricks while bosons are cement
00:53:16
together they make up all the matter
00:53:19
around us and give our universe the
00:53:22
strict laws we know
00:53:24
as we have seen gluons are the bosons
00:53:27
that ensure the strong interaction and
00:53:30
cohesion of atomic cores
00:53:33
they give life to neutrons protons and
00:53:36
mesons
00:53:37
gluons have no mass and there are eight
00:53:40
in all
00:53:42
next comes electromagnetic interaction
00:53:46
if you know anything about physics
00:53:48
you'll already know that the vector of
00:53:51
this interaction is none other than the
00:53:53
photon
00:53:55
often referred to as grains of light it
00:53:58
would be more accurate to speak of
00:54:00
energy carriers
00:54:02
they are produced by radiation or
00:54:05
scattering when an atom receives energy
00:54:09
to return to a more stable State the
00:54:12
atom in turn emits photons which carry
00:54:16
energy and therefore light
00:54:19
yes depending on the energy of the
00:54:21
photons emitted atoms will radiate with
00:54:25
different colors
00:54:27
visible colors from Violet to red blue
00:54:30
green and yellow
00:54:32
but also invisible colors
00:54:36
electromagnetic waves in the infrared or
00:54:38
ultraviolet range
00:54:40
photons also help to structure atoms
00:54:44
photons link electrons to the atomic
00:54:47
nucleus
00:54:48
last but not least photons have zero
00:54:52
Mass
00:54:53
they cannot disintegrate into lighter
00:54:56
particles and are therefore completely
00:54:58
stable
00:55:00
after photons and gluons come the W plus
00:55:04
W minus and Z zero bosons
00:55:08
these are the expression of the weak
00:55:11
interaction
00:55:12
they have a very high mass for subatomic
00:55:15
particles so their range is quite
00:55:17
restricted
00:55:19
note that this interaction affects all
00:55:22
matter particles both leptons and
00:55:25
hadrons
00:55:26
finally gravitation is a special case
00:55:31
of the four Great forces it is indeed
00:55:34
the weakest but it is also the only one
00:55:37
with an infinite range
00:55:39
as for the boson that carries gravity it
00:55:43
should be the graviton
00:55:45
unfortunately this has never yet been
00:55:48
observed
00:55:49
on the other hand we now know that
00:55:52
gravitational waves do exist
00:55:55
they were first detected in 2015 by the
00:55:58
ligo and Virgo collaborations following
00:56:02
the distant Collision of two massive
00:56:04
black holes
00:56:06
exactly 100 years after they were
00:56:09
predicted by the brilliant Albert
00:56:11
Einstein in his theory of general
00:56:13
relativity
00:56:15
however the graviton question is still
00:56:19
open
00:56:20
to sum things up Elementary particles of
00:56:23
matter transfer discrete quantities of
00:56:26
energy to each other by exchanging
00:56:28
bosons
00:56:29
and each fundamental Force has its
00:56:32
corresponding Boson
00:56:34
that is if we accept the existence of
00:56:37
the mysterious graviton
00:56:40
all this classification of matter
00:56:42
particles forces and carrier particles
00:56:46
is organized under a model whose name
00:56:49
may be familiar to you
00:56:51
it's the standard model of particle
00:56:54
physics
00:57:00
in order to organize their discoveries
00:57:03
and classify the various subatomic
00:57:05
elements particle physicists have
00:57:07
developed a theory to group everything
00:57:10
together
00:57:11
it's known as the standard model of
00:57:14
particle physics or more simply the
00:57:17
standard model
00:57:19
this fundamental Theory describes
00:57:22
Elementary particles and the forces that
00:57:24
govern them
00:57:26
it was developed in the 1970s with the
00:57:29
aim of organizing the fundamental
00:57:31
constituents of matter and the
00:57:33
interactions between them
00:57:36
the model is based on the principle of
00:57:38
symmetry and builds on the earlier work
00:57:41
of many scientists including James Clerk
00:57:45
Maxwell Albert Einstein Niels Bohr and
00:57:49
others
00:57:50
over the years a number of discoveries
00:57:53
such as those concerning individual
00:57:56
quarks and neutrinos have reinforced The
00:57:59
credibility of this model
00:58:02
the standard model includes all quarks
00:58:06
and leptons known as fermions as well as
00:58:10
the bosons responsible for the
00:58:12
fundamental interactions
00:58:15
it is therefore based on the triptych
00:58:18
particles forces and mediators
00:58:22
but this model itself uses other
00:58:25
theories to describe particles and their
00:58:27
interactions
00:58:29
these include the Symmetry principle and
00:58:32
Quantum field Theory
00:58:35
all this is quite complex for anyone
00:58:38
without the requisite knowledge
00:58:41
but to simplify things we can say that
00:58:45
Quantum field theory is a mathematical
00:58:48
framework used to describe Elementary
00:58:50
particles and their interactions
00:58:54
according to this Theory
00:58:56
space is bathed in a set of fields
00:58:59
these are mathematical entities that
00:59:02
propagate through space and interact
00:59:05
with particles
00:59:07
Quantum fields are described by
00:59:09
equations called field equations which
00:59:13
specify how they evolve in space-time
00:59:17
this theory is based on the principles
00:59:20
of quantum mechanics which postulate
00:59:23
that particles can be described by
00:59:27
probabilistic wave functions
00:59:29
thus one of its essential features is
00:59:32
the notion of quantization
00:59:36
according to this idea particles and
00:59:39
Associated Fields exist in discrete
00:59:42
quantized States rather than in an
00:59:45
infinite continuum
00:59:47
this implies that Elementary particles
00:59:50
can have only certain discrete values of
00:59:52
energy momentum charge and so on
00:59:57
Quantum field theory is also based on
01:00:00
the principle of superposition According
01:00:03
to which Quantum States can be combined
01:00:06
in a linear fashion to form new States
01:00:10
this makes it possible to describe
01:00:13
phenomena such as the creation and
01:00:16
annihilation of particles as well as the
01:00:19
interactions between them
01:00:21
in short the standard model is more an
01:00:25
attempt to unify different theories
01:00:27
rather than a theory in its own right
01:00:30
and to say the least it's a very
01:00:33
successful attempt
01:00:35
but unfortunately there are a few gray
01:00:38
areas
01:00:40
starting with gravity which is
01:00:42
struggling to find its place in this
01:00:44
model
01:00:45
yes the standard model encompasses
01:00:48
electromagnetic interactions as well as
01:00:50
the strong and weak nuclear forces
01:00:54
it explains very satisfactorily how
01:00:57
these forces act on all matter particles
01:01:01
it also predicted the existence of
01:01:04
certain particles that were discovered
01:01:06
years later in cern's particle Collider
01:01:10
but what about gravity
01:01:15
this is a crucial question because today
01:01:18
gravity is not included in the standard
01:01:20
model and the discovery of the famous
01:01:23
gravitons is still a long way off
01:01:26
on the one hand we have quantum theory
01:01:29
used to describe the microscopic world
01:01:33
and on the other we have the theory of
01:01:35
general relativity used to describe the
01:01:38
macroscopic world
01:01:41
the problem is that nobody can reconcile
01:01:44
the two
01:01:46
on the face of it you'd think that this
01:01:48
wouldn't be a problem since all you'd
01:01:51
have to do is use quantum physics for
01:01:53
the infinitely small and switch to
01:01:55
general relativity for macroscopic
01:01:57
phenomena but where's the limit
01:02:00
when should the switch be made
01:02:03
is there a threshold distance at which
01:02:05
we instantly switch from quantum physics
01:02:08
to relativity
01:02:10
the unification of these two theories
01:02:13
known as The Theory of Everything could
01:02:16
well solve some of the enigmas that
01:02:19
plague scientists
01:02:21
these include the expansion of the
01:02:23
universe The Disappearance of
01:02:25
anti-matter after the big bang and many
01:02:29
other questions
01:02:31
and more questions are being added to
01:02:34
the list
01:02:35
at present gravity is negligible at the
01:02:39
subatomic level
01:02:40
this is because the intensity of this
01:02:43
Force depends on the mass of objects
01:02:45
which is virtually zero in the world of
01:02:49
the infinitely small
01:02:51
that said there are many special cases
01:02:54
where intense gravity and microscopic
01:02:58
scale exists side by side
01:03:01
can you guess which ones
01:03:04
the answer lies at the heart of black
01:03:06
holes and in the very first instant of
01:03:09
the universe
01:03:10
where a phenomenal amount of matter is
01:03:13
contained in a point of infinite density
01:03:16
called a singularity
01:03:19
adding gravitation to the quantum
01:03:22
physics model would unlock the secrets
01:03:24
of the heart of black holes and the
01:03:27
origin of the Big Bang
01:03:29
we also know that there are three groups
01:03:32
or rather three generations as
01:03:35
scientists call them of quarks and
01:03:37
leptons with totally different masses
01:03:41
but how can we explain the extent of
01:03:44
this Mass scale
01:03:46
not to mention the fact that the
01:03:49
standard model doesn't perfectly
01:03:51
describe neutrino oscillation or mass
01:03:54
either
01:03:55
researchers instinctively sense that
01:03:58
they are missing a parameter
01:04:01
there's a piece of data missing a piece
01:04:04
of the puzzle missing
01:04:06
and it's likely that the limits of human
01:04:09
understanding will never allow us to
01:04:11
arrive at a Theory of Everything
01:04:14
the Ultimate Fantasy of every physicist
01:04:18
a theory that would unite all the others
01:04:21
and make it possible to describe all
01:04:23
physical phenomena regardless of scale
01:04:27
interesting Concepts such as
01:04:29
supersymmetry string theory and loop
01:04:33
quantum gravity attempt to extend the
01:04:36
standard model to resolve these
01:04:37
questions
01:04:39
but nothing has been done
01:04:41
we're still waiting for the famous
01:04:43
Eureka that will finally relieve us of
01:04:46
the weight of these questions
01:04:48
nevertheless the standard model seems to
01:04:51
be getting much closer to reality
01:04:54
if the discoveries of black holes and
01:04:57
gravitational waves were strong
01:05:00
arguments in favor of Einstein's
01:05:02
relativity another recent discovery has
01:05:05
come to the fore in favor of the
01:05:08
standard model
01:05:10
this unexpected Discovery is the famous
01:05:13
Higgs boson
01:05:18
in 2012 CERN researchers made a
01:05:22
sensational Discovery using their
01:05:24
particle gas pedal
01:05:26
they use their machine to accelerate
01:05:28
protons to very high energies then
01:05:31
collided them
01:05:33
these high-energy shocks created
01:05:36
conditions similar to those that existed
01:05:39
just after the big bang
01:05:43
for the search for the Higgs bosun
01:05:46
involve the detection of its Decay
01:05:49
products in its primordial environment
01:05:53
the Higgs boson itself is unstable and
01:05:57
disintegrates almost instantaneously
01:06:00
into other sub-particles
01:06:03
that's why scientists looked for
01:06:05
signatures of these specific decays to
01:06:08
identify the hidden Boson
01:06:12
and then in July 2012 the discovery was
01:06:16
announced
01:06:18
the data collected showed significant
01:06:21
markers
01:06:22
corresponding to the expected signatures
01:06:25
of the Higgs boson
01:06:28
after a thorough analysis of the data
01:06:31
the existence of the Higgs particle was
01:06:34
officially confirmed
01:06:37
this was some 50 years after British
01:06:40
physicist Peter Higgs formulated the
01:06:44
hypothetical existence of a Quantum
01:06:46
object that would give particles Mass
01:06:50
Higgs theory was that Elementary
01:06:52
particles acquire their mass by
01:06:55
interacting with a field that fills all
01:06:58
space
01:06:59
the more sensitive a particle is to this
01:07:02
field the more massive it is
01:07:06
and the quantum manifestation of this
01:07:08
field is none other than a boson known
01:07:12
as the Higgs boson
01:07:15
in fact the most massive particles such
01:07:18
as quarks and electrons interact
01:07:21
strongly with the Higgs field while
01:07:24
massless particles such as the photon do
01:07:27
not interact with it at all
01:07:30
at first glance all this seems rather
01:07:33
far-fetched and yet it seems to be
01:07:36
reality
01:07:38
the discovery of the Higgs boson marked
01:07:41
a turning point in the confirmation of
01:07:43
the standard model
01:07:45
it was also crucial to understanding the
01:07:48
origin of electro-week symmetry
01:07:52
but what is electro-week symmetry
01:07:56
well when the universe was very hot just
01:08:00
after the big bang the electromagnetic
01:08:03
force and the weak Force were unified
01:08:05
into a single Force the electro weak
01:08:09
Force
01:08:10
particles had no mass and moved at the
01:08:14
speed of light
01:08:16
as the universe cooled the Higgs field
01:08:19
was triggered breaking this Symmetry and
01:08:23
separating the electromagnetic and weak
01:08:26
forces
01:08:27
this field also gave particles their
01:08:31
Mass creating the universe we know today
01:08:35
it's fascinating to see how an entity as
01:08:39
Tiny as a boson can explain the
01:08:42
formation of our supposedly infinite
01:08:45
universe
01:08:47
so far our journey has taken us to the
01:08:51
very edge of matter
01:08:53
starting from our own scale we've
01:08:56
descended to observe the smallest known
01:08:58
particles that make up our world and
01:09:01
order the physical laws of our universe
01:09:05
we've also seen how scientists have
01:09:08
unlocked the secrets of the atom and the
01:09:11
theories they've used to organize their
01:09:13
discoveries
01:09:15
however we've said very little about the
01:09:19
behavior of subatomic particles in their
01:09:21
environment
01:09:23
yes they obey their own laws
01:09:27
codes that overturn our beliefs and test
01:09:31
the limits of our understanding
01:09:34
so it's time to move on to the final
01:09:37
stage of our microscopic Odyssey
01:09:40
but be warned to continue the adventure
01:09:43
you'll have to set aside your beliefs
01:09:46
and convictions about the limits of the
01:09:49
possible
01:09:50
you'll have to be prepared to question
01:09:53
yourself and accept your inability to
01:09:57
grasp the profound nature of the
01:10:00
infinitely small
01:10:02
as you can see we're about to enter a
01:10:06
dimension as strange as it is
01:10:08
fascinating
01:10:09
the quantum world
01:10:15
you've probably already heard of quantum
01:10:18
physics perhaps you're even Vaguely
01:10:21
Familiar with some of its most popular
01:10:22
Concepts such as entanglement
01:10:25
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle or
01:10:28
quantum decoherence
01:10:31
however it's unlikely that you really
01:10:35
understand how it works and with good
01:10:38
reason
01:10:39
even the most imminent scientists have
01:10:41
their doubts about this mysterious
01:10:43
branch of particle physics
01:10:47
rest assured we won't attempt to
01:10:49
decipher all its Mysteries here
01:10:52
instead we're going to explain some of
01:10:55
its main principles as well as the
01:10:58
theories that have emerged in its wake
01:11:01
but first let's get down to Basics
01:11:04
let's define what quantum physics
01:11:07
actually is
01:11:09
simply put it's a branch of physics that
01:11:12
studies the fundamental properties of
01:11:15
matter and energy at the atomic and
01:11:18
subatomic scales
01:11:20
it enables us to understand phenomena
01:11:23
such as the structure of the atom the
01:11:26
nature of light superposition quantum
01:11:29
entanglement and wave particle duality
01:11:33
yes in our current understanding of
01:11:37
physics every particle can be likened to
01:11:40
a wave in a field
01:11:42
white for example is a wave in an
01:11:46
electromagnetic field but also a stream
01:11:49
of particles called photons
01:11:52
this dual nature of subatomic particles
01:11:56
notably electrons is called wave
01:12:00
corpuscle duality
01:12:02
this was demonstrated by the famous
01:12:05
young slit experiment
01:12:08
one of the most beautiful experiments in
01:12:10
modern physics
01:12:12
here's a brief summary
01:12:15
in 1801 British physicist Thomas Young
01:12:19
conducted an experiment to demonstrate
01:12:22
the wave nature of light
01:12:25
until then the scientific Community had
01:12:28
believed that light was made up of
01:12:30
particles as the great Isaac Newton had
01:12:33
thought
01:12:35
but Young's experiment proved otherwise
01:12:38
by passing a beam of light through too
01:12:41
tiny closely spaced slits young saw an
01:12:45
interference pattern forming on the
01:12:47
screen behind the slits
01:12:50
since this pattern is characteristic of
01:12:53
waves the debate was settled
01:12:57
however a century later Albert Einstein
01:13:01
who needs no introduction came to the
01:13:03
fore with an idea that at first sight
01:13:06
seemed absurd
01:13:08
light is not a wave but a stream of
01:13:11
corpuscles which he dubbed Quantum and
01:13:14
later renamed photons
01:13:17
he proposed an experiment to prove his
01:13:19
assertion
01:13:21
and the surprising thing was that his
01:13:24
experimental results were indeed valid
01:13:27
on the one hand young had succeeded in
01:13:30
proving that light was a wave and on the
01:13:33
other Einstein proved that it was made
01:13:36
up of photons
01:13:38
this discovery led to the photoelectric
01:13:41
effect used to generate electricity via
01:13:45
solar panels
01:13:46
it even earned him a Nobel Prize in
01:13:49
1921.
01:13:52
at this point the debate on the nature
01:13:54
of light was reignited and the question
01:13:57
seemed insoluble
01:14:00
later the young slit experiment was
01:14:03
repeated not with a beam of light but
01:14:06
with A continuous stream of electrons
01:14:09
since electrons are particles they
01:14:12
should have formed two distinct spots as
01:14:14
they pass through the two slits
01:14:17
but the result of the experiment left
01:14:20
everyone speechless
01:14:22
the photons did indeed make punctiform
01:14:26
marks on the screen as particles would
01:14:29
but all these marks form the pattern
01:14:32
typical of waves an interference pattern
01:14:37
yes instead of just two distinct beams a
01:14:42
series of luminous interferences were
01:14:45
observed on the screen similar to the
01:14:48
alternating bands of light and dark
01:14:51
the conclusion was clear
01:14:53
to form this pattern each electron must
01:14:57
pass through both slits at the same time
01:15:00
otherwise interference is impossible
01:15:04
however
01:15:05
when intercepted on the screen the
01:15:08
electrons form a point characteristic of
01:15:11
a particle
01:15:12
the scientists then measured the
01:15:15
electrons as they pass between the slits
01:15:18
and what a surprise
01:15:21
if we try to observe the electrons at
01:15:24
this precise point the interference
01:15:26
patterns disappear and the electrons
01:15:29
behave as simple particles passing
01:15:32
through one or other of the two slits
01:15:36
this completely mind-boggling phenomenon
01:15:39
was one of the cornerstones in the
01:15:41
development of quantum physics
01:15:44
we now know that certain particles such
01:15:47
as photons and electrons are both waves
01:15:50
and particles
01:15:52
but we also know that experimental
01:15:55
measurements force in quotation marks
01:15:58
Quantum objects to adopt one of these
01:16:02
two states
01:16:04
and that's just one of the crazy
01:16:07
properties of quantum particles
01:16:10
wanna know more
01:16:12
all right but hang in there because you
01:16:14
could lose your footing when faced with
01:16:16
the complexity of these Notions
01:16:20
[Music]
01:16:23
one example is Heisenberg's uncertainty
01:16:27
principle
01:16:28
this was formulated by the physicist of
01:16:31
the same name in 1927.
01:16:34
it is one of the founding Notions of
01:16:36
quantum physics
01:16:38
it tells us that there is a fundamental
01:16:41
limit to the Precision with which we can
01:16:44
simultaneously measure certain pairs of
01:16:48
complementary physical quantities such
01:16:50
as the position and momentum of a
01:16:52
particle
01:16:53
in other words the more precise we try
01:16:57
to be in measuring the position of a
01:16:59
Quantum particle such as an electron the
01:17:03
more we lose Precision in measuring its
01:17:06
momentum
01:17:07
on a macroscopic scale this question
01:17:10
doesn't arise
01:17:13
we are perfectly capable of knowing the
01:17:16
position momentum and velocity of a
01:17:19
Celestial body at any given moment
01:17:23
it's important to understand that this
01:17:26
uncertainty has nothing to do with the
01:17:29
Precision of our measuring instruments
01:17:33
rather it's as if nature itself were
01:17:36
erecting barriers to prevent us from
01:17:38
penetrating its Mysteries
01:17:41
it's almost as if the laws of physics
01:17:44
are designed to prevent us from grasping
01:17:47
their full complexity
01:17:50
this raises a host of questions
01:17:53
is this limitation voluntary
01:17:56
is there a higher entity that knowingly
01:17:59
hinders and limits our understanding of
01:18:01
the world
01:18:03
are we forced to evolve in order to
01:18:06
uncover the secrets of matter
01:18:09
is this a way for an omnipotent
01:18:11
omniscient Observer to test our limits
01:18:15
to tell the truth it doesn't really
01:18:17
matter
01:18:18
it's not in man's nature to be
01:18:20
discouraged by the great existential
01:18:22
questions
01:18:24
and as long as a curious brain lives
01:18:27
answers will continue to be relentlessly
01:18:30
pursued
01:18:32
after all things that seemed
01:18:34
unimaginable a few centuries ago are now
01:18:38
at the heart of our societies
01:18:41
and who knows what discoveries await Us
01:18:43
in the decades to come
01:18:46
the fact remains that the quantum World
01:18:49
resists Us For Better or For Worse
01:18:52
and yet we are beginning to understand
01:18:55
its various nuances
01:18:58
wave corpuscle Duality the uncertainty
01:19:01
principle superposition quantum
01:19:04
entanglement
01:19:06
the veil of incomprehension remains
01:19:09
thick but it's gradually dissipating
01:19:12
and the discoveries have also led to a
01:19:15
host of theories
01:19:17
theories that aim to unify the laws of
01:19:20
the quantum world with those of the
01:19:22
macroscopic world
01:19:24
remember the standard model while quite
01:19:28
promising does have a few limitations
01:19:32
and to fill this void some theorists
01:19:35
have been racking their brains to come
01:19:36
up with more satisfactory alternative
01:19:40
explanations
01:19:42
the most famous of all of course is
01:19:44
string theory
01:19:46
although no experiment has been able to
01:19:49
validate this Theory we're going to take
01:19:52
a look at it
01:19:57
string theory is a must for anyone
01:20:00
trying to explore the foundations of
01:20:02
matter
01:20:03
but despite its celebrity few people
01:20:06
really know what the ideas behind it are
01:20:09
so let's take a closer look
01:20:12
in fact String Theory attempts to
01:20:15
develop a unified description of the
01:20:17
universe by combining quantum gravity
01:20:20
and the other fundamental interactions
01:20:24
of physics
01:20:25
it proposes that Elementary particles
01:20:29
are not structureless dots but rather
01:20:32
one-dimensional entities called strings
01:20:36
yes tiny strings plunge deep into matter
01:20:40
at the theoretical limit of possibility
01:20:45
just as absolute zero is the lowest
01:20:47
temperature that can be there would also
01:20:50
be a limit Beyond which it would be
01:20:52
impossible to go any lower
01:20:54
the plank length
01:20:57
a distance about a billion billion times
01:21:00
smaller than the proton radius
01:21:03
that's about 10 to the minus 35 power
01:21:06
meters
01:21:08
and it's at this distance in the depths
01:21:11
of the infinitely small that the famous
01:21:13
strings at the heart of this Theory
01:21:15
would be found
01:21:17
according to this hypothesis strings are
01:21:21
fundamental objects that vibrate at
01:21:24
different frequencies and modes
01:21:27
these modes of vibration determine the
01:21:30
properties of the particles we observe
01:21:32
such as their Mass charge and spin
01:21:36
so instead of having a limited set of
01:21:39
Elementary particles such as neutrinos
01:21:42
electrons or quarks
01:21:44
String Theory suggests that there is
01:21:47
only one type of particle
01:21:49
strings
01:21:51
filaments vibrating on themselves and
01:21:54
driving through their different modes of
01:21:57
vibration the diversity of Elementary
01:22:00
particles we know
01:22:02
and even those we don't know about but
01:22:05
assume to exist such as gravitons
01:22:09
do you still follow
01:22:11
right on
01:22:12
String Theory also proposes that gravity
01:22:16
is a natural consequence of string
01:22:18
interactions
01:22:20
to sum things up very simply considering
01:22:24
Elementary particles as one-dimensional
01:22:27
objects and not as dimensionless points
01:22:30
makes it possible to arrive at a valid
01:22:34
quantification of Relativity Theory
01:22:38
String Theory thus solves the problem of
01:22:42
the incompatibility between quantum
01:22:44
mechanics and general relativity
01:22:47
the two pillars of modern physics
01:22:51
in fact this is the Crux of the
01:22:54
palliative theories to the standard
01:22:56
model
01:22:57
they all attempt to quantify I.E to
01:23:01
propose a workable alternative to the
01:23:04
theory of relativity but on a Quantum
01:23:07
scale
01:23:08
more commonly known as the quantum
01:23:12
gravity problem
01:23:14
the task is a daunting one since the
01:23:17
forces of gravity on the subatomic scale
01:23:20
are so weak as to be almost non-existent
01:23:24
in this respect String Theory offers a
01:23:28
tantalizing Prospect for a Theory of
01:23:30
Everything
01:23:31
the famous El Dorado of physics capable
01:23:35
of describing the entire universe from
01:23:38
subatomic particles to Cosmic structures
01:23:43
it even suggests the existence of an
01:23:45
additional particle the Axion which
01:23:49
would be an ideal candidate to explain
01:23:51
the origin of dark matter
01:23:54
however in attempting to solve some
01:23:57
problems this Theory raises others
01:24:01
yes an essential feature of this big
01:24:04
idea is the need to add extra Dimensions
01:24:07
to the four dimensions of space-time we
01:24:09
know
01:24:11
for in reality there are several unknown
01:24:15
Dimensions that are coiled or compressed
01:24:17
on a scale beyond the microscopic
01:24:21
and the consensus is that 10 dimensions
01:24:24
are needed for string theory to work
01:24:27
that is one dimension of time and nine
01:24:30
dimensions of space
01:24:33
for the uninitiated this somewhat
01:24:35
far-fetched hypothesis would explain why
01:24:39
we don't perceive these extra Dimensions
01:24:41
despite the refinement of our detection
01:24:44
devices
01:24:46
to overcome these various
01:24:49
inconsistencies string theory has been
01:24:52
expanded in a number of ways
01:24:55
by giving strings a spin or by
01:24:58
stipulating the existence of the
01:25:00
Multiverse
01:25:02
understand then that string theory is
01:25:05
still a work in progress
01:25:07
its proponents are still far from
01:25:10
possessing its complete formula
01:25:13
in fact it leaves many researchers
01:25:15
baffled not least because of the many
01:25:18
mathematical and conceptual challenges
01:25:21
it raises
01:25:23
to date no direct experiment has been
01:25:27
able to confirm it
01:25:28
and with good reason
01:25:30
because of the six unknown and hidden
01:25:33
Dimensions postulated by this Theory
01:25:35
there are so many experimental
01:25:38
predictions that they cannot be
01:25:40
confirmed
01:25:42
but all hope is not lost
01:25:44
for there is one component of string
01:25:47
theory that could well be verified in
01:25:50
practice [Music]
01:25:54
this promising component goes by the
01:25:57
name of super symmetry
01:26:00
a theoretical extension of particle
01:26:02
physics that proposes symmetry between
01:26:05
the components of matter the universal
01:26:08
forces and the mediators that bind them
01:26:11
together
01:26:13
it aims to resolve certain limitations
01:26:16
and unresolved questions in particle
01:26:18
physics such as the nature of dark
01:26:21
matter
01:26:22
the persimmetry postulates the existence
01:26:25
of partners for every particle known to
01:26:29
the standard model
01:26:31
at present there are 12 Elementary
01:26:33
particles in the standard model
01:26:36
but if we Count Their different versions
01:26:39
as well as anti-particles we arrive at
01:26:42
61.
01:26:44
but supersymmetry tells us that there
01:26:47
are twice as many particles
01:26:49
122 in all
01:26:52
these supersymmetric partners are called
01:26:55
super partners
01:26:58
for every particle of matter for every
01:27:01
fermion in other words there is a super
01:27:04
partner
01:27:06
for example the electrons double is
01:27:09
called a selectron
01:27:12
and for every Force particle the bosons
01:27:15
there is also a super partner in the
01:27:19
case of the photon this would be the
01:27:22
photino
01:27:24
and each supersymmetric particle would
01:27:27
belong to the opposite category to that
01:27:29
of its double
01:27:31
thus the selectron would be a boson and
01:27:34
the fotino a fermion
01:27:38
so there would be as many bosons as
01:27:40
fermions and the standard model would be
01:27:43
incomplete
01:27:45
however none of these hypothetical twins
01:27:48
has ever been observed
01:27:51
but where the idea seems promising is
01:27:54
that thanks to advances in technology we
01:27:57
should soon have an answer
01:27:59
indeed the creation of supersymmetric
01:28:03
particles requires phenomenal
01:28:05
theoretical energy
01:28:08
and cern's particle gas pedal should
01:28:11
soon be capable of producing sufficient
01:28:13
energy to observe these potential
01:28:16
duplicates
01:28:18
if despite cern's progress no
01:28:22
supersymmetric particle is detected in
01:28:24
the next few years this will call the
01:28:27
theory into serious question
01:28:29
an as a logical consequence String
01:28:32
Theory itself
01:28:35
now it's time to conclude our journey
01:28:37
and for that what better way than to
01:28:41
introduce you to another theory
01:28:43
once again this one aims to fill the
01:28:47
gaps in the standard model by proposing
01:28:49
a different approach to string theory
01:28:52
its name Loop quantum gravity
01:28:55
[Music]
01:28:58
unlike String Theory which includes the
01:29:01
existence of fundamental objects Loop
01:29:04
quantum gravity focuses on the geometry
01:29:06
of space-time itself
01:29:09
in this Theory space-time is not seen as
01:29:13
a smooth Continuum but rather as a
01:29:16
discrete Network made up of Loops or
01:29:19
links that connect its various points
01:29:23
these Loops represent the fundamental
01:29:26
Quantum interactions between regions of
01:29:28
space-time and form a discrete structure
01:29:32
or a discontinuous structure if you
01:29:35
prefer
01:29:37
to make this point she uses Concepts
01:29:40
from graph Theory and Quantum
01:29:42
mathematics to describe these loops and
01:29:45
their evolution over time
01:29:47
it also relies on quantifying the area
01:29:50
and volume of regions of space-time
01:29:53
it's as if space-time were made up of
01:29:57
Elementary bricks
01:30:00
in layman's terms atoms of space-time
01:30:04
an important aspect of loop quantum
01:30:07
gravity is the notion of lattice spin
01:30:10
but what exactly does this mean
01:30:13
well you have to understand that each
01:30:16
Loop in the lattice carries a quantized
01:30:19
quantity of angular momentum or spin
01:30:23
and this quantity represents the quantum
01:30:26
properties associated with the geometry
01:30:28
of space-time
01:30:31
this view of spin makes it possible to
01:30:34
describe the gravitational properties of
01:30:36
space-time on a microscopic scale
01:30:40
indeed Loop quantum gravity proposes
01:30:43
that gravitational interactions between
01:30:46
particles are due to the exchange of
01:30:49
discrete quantities of angular momentum
01:30:52
between each Loop
01:30:55
in short this hypothesis solves the
01:30:58
problem of quantum gravity
01:30:59
[Music]
01:31:01
however like the previous Theory Loop
01:31:04
quantum gravity is still under study
01:31:07
the problem Remains the Same
01:31:10
it is very difficult to test
01:31:12
experimentally as it predicts
01:31:14
significant effects but on extremely
01:31:17
small scales that are not directly
01:31:19
accessible by our measuring equipment
01:31:24
again all this takes place at plank
01:31:27
length which is 10 to the minus 35 power
01:31:30
meters remember
01:31:33
there are many other theories whose aim
01:31:36
is to meet the greatest challenge of
01:31:38
modern physics the unification of the
01:31:41
four Great Universal forces at all
01:31:44
scales of size The Theory of Everything
01:31:49
but will it ever be possible to unify
01:31:52
the infinitely large and the infinitely
01:31:55
small
01:31:57
is man not condemned by his condition to
01:32:01
remain ignorant of the profound nature
01:32:03
of the matter that makes him up and of
01:32:05
the universe he inhabits
01:32:07
perhaps so
01:32:09
but should we give up in the face of
01:32:11
such a daunting task
01:32:13
certainly not
01:32:15
today thousands of researchers
01:32:18
physicists and scientists are working
01:32:21
hard to find answers to the questions
01:32:24
that torment them
01:32:26
comforted by discoveries that multiply
01:32:29
over time we feel deep down that the
01:32:32
answers are close at hand
01:32:35
but each Discovery also brings its own
01:32:38
set of questions
01:32:40
after all isn't this the greatest secret
01:32:43
of the universe
01:32:45
isn't it its capacity to offer us ever
01:32:48
more challenging enigmas to solve never
01:32:51
revealing all the keys to understanding
01:32:53
it
01:32:55
a source that will sustain our wonder
01:32:57
and curiosity for as long as we live
01:33:03
[Music]
01:33:09
foreign
01:33:10
[Music]

Description:

🌍 Have you ever wondered what the foundations of our reality are based on? What if I told you that the world around us is governed by mysterious particles and invisible dimensions? Would you believe me? Nothing could be further from the truth... Yet the nature of the forces and elements that shape our universe is unknown to us. Admittedly, scientific advances over the last few centuries have enabled us to understand in detail the events that unfold on a macroscopic scale. But when we venture onto smaller scales, it's as if we're entering a parallel reality whose workings escape us. In this world of the infinitely small, the laws of physics and relativity we know no longer apply. Instead, we find strange, sometimes invisible particles interacting in ways so mysterious that we find it hard to believe how they work. Quantum physics, string theory, supersymmetry, the uncertainty principle... So much vocabulary that attempts to describe the mechanisms of this invisible reality to make it easier to understand. 🔥 As a reminder, videos are published on SUNDAYS at 6pm. ------------------------- 💥Voyage vers l'Infiniment Petit: - Each discovery inevitably raises its own set of questions... In their quest to probe the microscopic world, scientists have nonetheless been able to venture deep into nature's smallest secrets. While a few decades ago we thought that atoms were the inseparable building blocks of matter, today we know that these elements are home to an incredible bestiary of particles. Quarks, gluons, Higgs bosons, neutrinos, photons... It's enough to make you dizzy! To say that these elements are minuscule is an understatement. To understand this, let's compare scales. Observations of the cosmos tell us that the diameter of the observable universe is around 93 billion light-years. This universe would include between 100 and 200 billion galaxies. In fact, our Milky Way is but a tiny drop of water in a cosmic ocean. Yet, from our perspective, its dimensions are inordinate: almost 53,000 light-years. That's enough to house between 200 and 400 billion stars, and probably more than 100 billion planets... Among these stars is our sun: nearly 700,000 km in radius. That's around 109 times the diameter of the Earth. Our beautiful blue planet, gigantic to our eyes, is in reality invisible to those of the cosmos. For if the solar system were a city twenty kilometers across, the Earth would be little more than a grape. And yet, nearly 8 billion human beings live on it. But then again, appearances are deceptive, as man is far from occupying all the space available on Earth. If we were to group together all the human beings currently living, they would fit on an area equivalent to the city of Los Angeles... So, compared to a modestly-sized terrestrial planet, man is a grain of sand. If this scale comparison gives you a slight headache, just wait for the next part. Because it's possible to go much further. Each human being, however microscopic compared to the cosmos, is made up of around 30,000 billion cells. And these tiny cells, observable only under the microscope, are themselves made up of 100,000 billion atoms! This figure varies greatly from cell to cell, but it's still completely excessive. Wait, we can go even further... If you look at the core of atoms, you'll be amazed to discover that they're 99.9%... empty! In other words, matter is theoretically made up of nothingness! It may sound crazy, but hidden in this nothingness are tiny elements of the quantum world that give life to the reality we know. And although we are made of atoms, their profound nature seems even more distant than the confines of the observable universe. So, the infinitely small conceals many mysteries. So get ready to travel to the heart of matter! Together, we'll try to unlock its secrets by literally looking deep inside ourselves... ------------------------- 🎬 Today's program: 00:00 - Introduction 06:11 - The macroscopic world 21:27 - Diving into the heart of atoms 35:44 - Subatomic particles 39:45 - Quarks 48:46 - Leptons 50:55 - Bosons 55:25 - The Standard Model 1:03:51 - Higgs boson 1:08:45 - The mysteries of quantum physics 1:18:20 - String theory 1:23:38 - Supersymmetry 1:26:26 - Quantum loop theory Wondody is an official channel affiliated to the network ©Production Orbinea

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