Ask PoM a question!

[lancerevo3]

when your to sick to eat and the only cure you can imagine is a drink.
or friday evening until monday morning

[psbarham]

if 99.999% of an atom is empty space why don't we fall through the floor?

[Wodjno]

if 99.999% of an atom is empty space why don't we fall through the floor?

Because we are too 99.999% empty space!


So !
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.
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.
.
.
Can ?

[Wodjno]

Because we are too 99.999% empty space!


So !
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.
.
.
.
.
Can ?

Empty Space pass through Empty Space

[Pastor of Muppets]

Blast from the past. At what point would one consider themselves an alcoholic?

For me it was Tesco value scotch for breakfast and urinating blood

[Ryan]

For me it was Tesco value scotch for breakfast and urinating blood

Sounds about right!

[Nick Mann]

if 99.999% of an atom is empty space why don't we fall through the floor?

You needed to watch the Christmas Lecture - it's all related to quantum physics!

[Pastor of Muppets]

You needed to watch the Christmas Lecture - it's all related to quantum physics!

or even big bang theory!!

[TAR]

You needed to watch the Christmas Lecture - it's all related to quantum physics!

Higgs Boson explains it - but you need a degree in Quantum Physics to understand it.

[Pastor of Muppets]

Higgs Boson explains it - but you need a degree in Quantum Physics to understand it.

for those of you with an interest here is a one page explanation of the higgs and why its important. it won an award in some prestigious science journal the name of which escapes me at the moment

By Mary and Ian Butterworth, Imperial College London, and Doris and Vigdor Teplitz, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA.

The Higgs boson is a hypothesised particle which, if it exists, would give the mechanism by which particles acquire mass.

Matter is made of molecules; molecules of atoms; atoms of a cloud of electrons about one-hundred-millionth of a centimetre and a nucleus about one-hundred-thousandth the size of the electron cloud. The nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. Each proton (or neutron) has about two thousand times the mass of an electron. We know a good deal about why the nucleus is so small. We do not know, however, how the particles get their masses. Why are the masses what they are? Why are the ratios of masses what they are? We can't be said to understand the constituents of matter if we don't have a satisfactory answer to this question.

Peter Higgs has a model in which particle masses arise in a beautiful, but complex, progression. He starts with a particle that has only mass, and no other characteristics, such as charge, that distinguish particles from empty space. We can call his particle H. H interacts with other particles; for example if H is near an electron, there is a force between the two. H is of a class of particles called "bosons". We first attempt a more precise, but non-mathematical statement of the point of the model; then we give explanatory pictures.

In the mathematics of quantum mechanics describing creation and annihilation of elementary particles, as observed at accelerators, particles at particular points arise from "fields" spread over space and time. Higgs found that parameters in the equations for the field associated with the particle H can be chosen in such a way that the lowest energy state of that field (empty space) is one with the field not zero. It is surprising that the field is not zero in empty space, but the result, not an obvious one, is: all particles that can interact with H gain mass from the interaction.

Thus mathematics links the existence of H to a contribution to the mass of all particles with which H interacts. A picture that corresponds to the mathematics is of the lowest energy state, "empty" space, having a crown of H particles with no energy of their own. Other particles get their masses by interacting with this collection of zero-energy H particles. The mass (or inertia or resistance to change in motion) of a particle comes from its being "grabbed at" by Higgs particles when we try and move it.

If particles no get their masses from interacting with the empty space Higgs field, then the Higgs particle must exist; but we can't be certain without finding the Higgs. We have other hints about the Higgs; for example, if it exists, it plays a role in "unifying" different forces. However, we believe that nature could contrive to get the results that would flow from the Higgs in other ways. In fact, proving the Higgs particle does not exist would be scientifically every bit as valuable as proving it does.

These questions, the mechanisms by which particles get their masses, and the relationship amongs different forces of nature, are major ones and so basic to having an understanding of the constituents of matter and the forces among them, that it is hard to see how we can make significant progress in our understanding of the stuff of which the earth is made without answering them.

[gareth001]

for those of you with an interest here is a one page explanation of the higgs and why its important. it won an award in some prestigious science journal the name of which escapes me at the moment

By Mary and Ian Butterworth, Imperial College London, and Doris and Vigdor Teplitz, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA.

The Higgs boson is a hypothesised particle which, if it exists, would give the mechanism by which particles acquire mass.

Matter is made of molecules; molecules of atoms; atoms of a cloud of electrons about one-hundred-millionth of a centimetre and a nucleus about one-hundred-thousandth the size of the electron cloud. The nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. Each proton (or neutron) has about two thousand times the mass of an electron. We know a good deal about why the nucleus is so small. We do not know, however, how the particles get their masses. Why are the masses what they are? Why are the ratios of masses what they are? We can't be said to understand the constituents of matter if we don't have a satisfactory answer to this question.

Peter Higgs has a model in which particle masses arise in a beautiful, but complex, progression. He starts with a particle that has only mass, and no other characteristics, such as charge, that distinguish particles from empty space. We can call his particle H. H interacts with other particles; for example if H is near an electron, there is a force between the two. H is of a class of particles called "bosons". We first attempt a more precise, but non-mathematical statement of the point of the model; then we give explanatory pictures.

In the mathematics of quantum mechanics describing creation and annihilation of elementary particles, as observed at accelerators, particles at particular points arise from "fields" spread over space and time. Higgs found that parameters in the equations for the field associated with the particle H can be chosen in such a way that the lowest energy state of that field (empty space) is one with the field not zero. It is surprising that the field is not zero in empty space, but the result, not an obvious one, is: all particles that can interact with H gain mass from the interaction.

Thus mathematics links the existence of H to a contribution to the mass of all particles with which H interacts. A picture that corresponds to the mathematics is of the lowest energy state, "empty" space, having a crown of H particles with no energy of their own. Other particles get their masses by interacting with this collection of zero-energy H particles. The mass (or inertia or resistance to change in motion) of a particle comes from its being "grabbed at" by Higgs particles when we try and move it.

If particles no get their masses from interacting with the empty space Higgs field, then the Higgs particle must exist; but we can't be certain without finding the Higgs. We have other hints about the Higgs; for example, if it exists, it plays a role in "unifying" different forces. However, we believe that nature could contrive to get the results that would flow from the Higgs in other ways. In fact, proving the Higgs particle does not exist would be scientifically every bit as valuable as proving it does.

These questions, the mechanisms by which particles get their masses, and the relationship amongs different forces of nature, are major ones and so basic to having an understanding of the constituents of matter and the forces among them, that it is hard to see how we can make significant progress in our understanding of the stuff of which the earth is made without answering them.

And all without wikipedia working yesterday - impressed.

[DANIPPON]

I read the whole topic and I can tell just too hard. PoM is the king!
and also I have a hypothetical question about the egg and chicken. what the evolution of the chickens been, influenced by the fact that the first egg created a cock, not a chicken? they would go faster or slower, and why?

[Pastor of Muppets]

Thought it might be time to dig this old treasure up too

[Atik]

Andy, whats missing on your new car?

[Pastor of Muppets]

Things the fortwo is missing

A boot
Back seats
3/4 of an engine
Suspension
A decent gear box
the list could go on..........

on the plus side it costs £20 a year to tax £150 a year to insure and 48mpg

(sorry for the copy and paste reply)

[DANIPPON]

Sorry the poor translation, but do you have any theory to my question above!?

[Pastor of Muppets]

Got to apologise here as im not entirely sure what the question is..... dont worry about your english it is far far better than my croatian!!!
In fact i know no Croatian but i do know that you guys invented neck ties and that Croat is the origin of ther word crevat.
If you or anyone could clarify the question for me i will ofcourse attempt to answer it!

[andyleaves]

Where does the PoM hang out when not on here?

[Pastor of Muppets]

Where does the PoM hang out when not on here?

sad;y mate the life of PoM has been pretty dull the Smart forums are rubbish (or at least seem rubbish in comparison to the mighty CVR4) that and the fact that Mrs PoM and I have just brought a house and are getting married in august has meant alot more staying in recently.
that said Mrs PoM has expressed an interest in returning to margretting tie or what ever the place where the south east meet was where we met up last so maybe another of those is on the cards and you can laugh at my car in person!!

[Nick Mann]

Will the PoM be attending the 10th shin dig?