Modern and Theoretical Physics

Scientific American has a free, online article on Parallel Universes thats quite interesting. Parallel Universes intro: "Is there a copy of you reading this article? A person who is not you but who lives on a planet called Earth, with misty mountains, fertile fields and sprawling cities, in a solar system with eight other planets? The life of this person has been identical to yours in every respect. But perhaps he or she now decides to put down this article without finishing it, while you read on. The idea of such an alter ego seems strange and implausible, but it looks as if we will just have to live with it, because it is supported by astronomical observation…

So, I decided to find out why beryllium (and aluminum) actually emits neutrons when hit by alpha particles. I was quite sure that the two extra protons and neutrons make it an isotope that's very unstable and a neutron emitter. But no. Be-9 + alpha (2 neutrons 2 protons) -> C-12 + a neutron It was quite interesting to see that alpha decay doesn't work in reverse (at least not in this case). Why is this? Why doesn't the nuclei take all the particles becoming C-13? Does this have something to do with preserving momentum or something?

if a atom exponentialy retracted in size is there a point at which it will cease to be? Or is there a mathematicaly logical theory which u can postulate our space being +(positive) and something beyond our laws of physics in relative to its size being -(negetive) space, sice some theorize our space to be infinit then negetive sapce would be finite meaning it doesnt exist? help me out plz I lack a basic degree in physics but i will try to understand what is being said even if I have to learn more math

I've been visiting this site which gives a really cool overview of the basics of particle physics: http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/ It confused me at one point, however, when it talked about what neutrons were made of. At this page: http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/frameless/hadrons.html it says that neutrons are a type of hadron which are defined as a composite of 3 quarks, and in the case of the neutron, it is 2 up quarks and 1 down. But then on this page: http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/frameless/neutrinos.html it says that when neutrons reduce their momentum to near zero, they decay into an electron, …

what role does the neutron play in the atom? is it bound to the protons by the strong force?

The concept is not as abstract as it may seem. Science is developed in a loop of continuous interactions from Reality to the Sense organs(hand, eye) to the Mind and back again from Mind to Sense organ(hand) to Reality as this diagram Reality ®, Senses(S) and Mind(M) shows: R -> S -> M R <- S <- M Up until now M has always been fixed, but changing M everything changes. In this sense there would be a new and different science. We can imagine also wildly changing S by the way. An interesting thing is that we can imagine there being an intermediate "invisible" layer called a "Presentation" layer that presents the information from t…

Dear Sirs: I have posted this Question all over the web, physics forums, science magazines, academics in plasma physics and condensed matter, I have received little response. Can you be of assistance? I thought this might interest you. I have been researching Hydrogen-boron Fusion. Here's the most important posts, if this technology is real, it's history changing. In my searches for efficient home technology I came across Electron Power Systems. I E-mailed EPS about the obvious synergies for their home generator with the power chips of Borealis. I also contacted Borealis. I have been mediating an argument between Clint Seward of Electron Power Syst…

This is a very old thought that troubled me when I was about 10 years old. Today it suddeltly popped in my head again, and I thought it would be funny to hear any reactions on the topic. It goes like this... The 3 dimensions of space that the universe is expanding in, seems to be infinite in lenght.. This indicates that even though matter in the universe only has travelled as far as it has (our measurement of it's size), the universe is infact infinite in size... If the universe is infinite big, does that not make everything that reside in it infinite small ? Something thats infinite small could that equal none existant?

Size; the physical extent or dimensions of anything. Is size simply a strict subjective comparison to property (energy or matter) haveing no absolute or limit? Is size limitless? I welcome Ideas, Hypotheses, and Thery.

I heard a theory that says the search for subatomic particles is similar to the search for elements in that you can predict their properties much like you could predict the properties of elements in the period tables even though they haven't been discovered yet. Is this theory true? If it is, what are the known and yet-to-be-discovered particles? What are their properties? Are they truly fundamental (i.e. undivisable)? Gib

I am slightly confused by this issue, as i understand just before the big bang there was a state of very low entropy which over time to the present day increased (because of the bang). My question is how can there be ordered structures like galaxies ,planets and humans if entropy is supposed to increase over time. I know that its obvious gravity is responsible for matter coming together in stars etc but i dont know the full reason for the argument of entropy increasing with time.

Geologists and scientists alike have noted that the earth's magnetic poles have shifted periodically thoughout the planet's existence. However, I am left to wonder what effects the shift of the earth's magnetic poles would have on the technological advances of todays society. Magnetism plays a vital role in a vast multitude of machines as basic as a compass to something as complex as a computer monitor. However, I hypothesize that the reversal of the magnetic poles would have a catastrophic affect upon what we have become most accostomed to, techonology. Furthermore, I would not expect that this reversal would happen instantly, if the poles were shifted, could the earth b…

What exactly is Kinetic Energy? What is Static Energy? If possible give brief down to earth examples

I've always been confused by the whole idea about what energy is. I mean, on the one hand, you have the classical definition which runs something along the lines of an abstract concept about what makes rigid bodies move and behave. But on the other hand, modern physics would have it that energy is actually made up of fundamental particles (photons or whathaveyou). The confusing thing about it for me is this: If energy is really made out of particles and these particles can move through space, then what accounts for their motion? What's even more confusing is that string theory would have it that these particles are no different that matter particles except for the frequen…

The smallest size of something is quarks, according to my understanding. Will what composes those things? Is it just pure energy? Or do we not know.... Thanks

Do you believe cold fusion can really be achieved or is it just a case of high hopes? I know a few have tried to prove it and now have given up.

Is it possible to move matter at 1/2 the speed of light given earth's resources? And if so, would it not create a 1/2 matter 1/2 engery occurance which's size and strength would be determined by the size of the matter moving?

Hi, what would be the physical consequences if the mass of the electron had a value twice that observed? Clarke

is gravity infinite??

You know those mirages you see on a hot road or highway when driving? Well, do they reflect or distort light? What Im really wondering is...If you were to shine a light (or laser) into one of the mirages, would the light show on an object behind it? And from that object's point of view, where would the light be coming from? Just Curious (like always)

many people have said that it is impossible to make any predictions or test them using string theory, but, in his second book, The Fabric Of The Cosmos, Brian Greene says the opposite. Ill check out chapters 12 and thirteen tommarrow and post what he was talking about.

I'm not certain if this is appropriate for these forums, I think it is though so... Say our universe, the one we're in right now, is a simulation. There are several levels it could being simulated: 1 - Just my brain and everything outside it is just information being provided to it. 2 - Several million brains being simulated on different computers with the ability to communicate as well as be provided information by the program. 3 - Everything in the universe is physically simulated. To simulate things perfectly on any level you would have to simulate every single fundamental particle and these laws of physics applied to each one of them then set off to simula…

I was watching "Star Trek: First Contact", and i got to thinking at the part where they are caught in the "tempporal wake." it got me thinking about wakes made by air. as you approach the speed of sound, you experience violent diamond-shaped shockwaves. such shockwave have destroyed several aircraft, which lead to the beleif in the "sound barrier." perhaps such a thing would happen in space. could time dilation, space contraction, and mass gain be considered drag? maybe going at such high speeds could cause fluctuations in the surrounding spacetime. as one hits the "sound barrier", one experiences a "sonic boom." assuming that we could one day get around not …

Well this is my first post and I'm kinda getting the hang of physics and one of my favorite topics is the different "realms" or dimension. One question I have is, is there proof that there is a fourth dimension. And if there is how can we get there?

If you travel at c, time is undefined. Mass is also. What is undefiend mass/time? Does it mean that time/mass doesn't exist or does it mean something else?