Elementary Particles and Their Interactions - Professor Joseph Silk FRS

Matter consists of a mêlée of elementary particles. There are protons and neutrons, made up of quarks, and many other short-lived massive particles. All atoms consist of protons, neutrons and an accompanying cloud of electrons - then there are electrons, muons and neutrinos, as well as the massless particles - photons.

The very early universe is a unique laboratory for studying the rarest of particles. We see the faded brilliance of the fiery past, and can assemble clues that enable us to trace out the particle content of the beginning of the universe. One hope is to discover particles of dark matter, but this has so far eluded our best efforts.

[GreshamCollege]

At 32:04, there is a mistake in Professor Silk's presentation. The masses of a neutron and a proton are reversed. He also mis-states that "the neutron weighs very slightly less than the proton" when the reverse is true.

[JKuci]

I really enjoy these types of lectures! I always learn something new. Learning is a fundamental good as long as it is not just passive but involves active investigation of the material presented. Thanks!!!

[jaredyoung]

Hey this popped up on the internet... I don't know where it came from. But on a subatomic scale it could tie string theory into all this... It may also negate the need for matter. All of these particles could be made of radiation and grativy weaved together in 4 dimensional fractal dimensions...

Thanks

Benoit Mandelbrot! - A heartbreaking work of staggering Genius!!!

Benoit Madelbrot saw mathematics as physics… But he saw it first as mathematics. Because of this he missed the difference!

In mathematics on dimension is a line two dimensions is a square, three is a cube! In physics one dimension is a dot, two dimensions is a circle, three is a sphere!

Both study movement, time, and growth, but in physics we study interactions by observing the real world. We then use mathematics to create a new perspective, a simplification to enhance understanding! A model!

In 1958 IMB was pioneering computer technology and hired Benoit Mandelbrot. IMB had unsolvable problems! They were looking for the greatest free thinking minds of all time to help figure them out!

The problem for Benoit was when we transmit electrical data over electrical lines we have fractal interference. No one could explain this! And no one could figure out how to clean up the signal!

Benoit Mandelbrot said, “If you want to explain something extremely complex, complexify the hell out of it!”

In order to clean up the data in the electrical line, Benoit theorized, “Fractal Dimensions!” in what physics would call 4 dimensions, he just did it with a mathematical brain!!! Bahahahahahaha

If he had done it with a physics brain he would have started with a dot, and then a circle, and then a sphere, and then a fourth dimension… time.

And then started making a lot of them and bashing them together to study the movements of bodies in space!

We keep asking what gravity is? We keep asking, “How can light can be infinitely expanding and still have electromagnetism?” How can a star be expanding infinitely into space and still be contracting with gravity?

We’ve been using, what I believe the answer is, to speak to each other with computers since 1958.

Now let’s stop looking for the obvious and start experimenting with our new theory!!! Fractal Dimensions not in mathematics, but in spacetime!

And thank you!!!

P.S. somewhere layered in all this is a chaos dimension!!! A non-integer dimension that interacts with all the infinite layers of the others!!! ;-)

[WildBillCox]

Another wonderful lecture, professor. Thanks, Gresham!

[KipIngram]

34:05 - That periodic table clearly shows elements up to atomic number 118, not 103 as Prof. Silk's presentation states.

[redabdab]

47:49 the fact that the earth only receives part of the sun’s energy does not mean the sun is “incredibly inefficient” !

[marc-andrebrunet]

Happy to see a new lecture M.silk !! 🖒

[innertubez]

Excellent presentation. One thing I don't understand: If the Big Bang was the time when the universe had the most energy in a confined space, why weren't all the elements created at that moment? Weren't those conditions even better for heavy element creation than a supernova?

[pierretruchon]

The Gabon is an african contry in dependent from France since 1960. So the mine is not in France, but in Africa.

[Human_Evolution-]

I love the mistake, it shows how many geeks watch these. More mistakes in the future please.

[koenth]

Truly a great lecture and I learned a great deal from it. Some details are very interesting, e.g. that proton decay is essential for the theory of unification. Would be very interesting to see the results of the 10^9 kg water experiment in Japan.

But it stipulated so many different subjects without going into any depth, or really explain. And i think it contains some Some examples:

1:58 'But repelling, otherwise we'd been blown apart'. I'd think 'otherwise we'd implode' would be more precise.
8:00 Was superkamiokande really designed to look for proton decay, or was it designed for the detection of neutrinos from  the sun?
10:30 'Quarks are about 1/1000 the size of a proton, electrons are pointlike, and quarks are probably like that too' ...Now are you saying quarks are of finite size or not?
19:50 /21:40 'The process of ice melting releases energy'. On the contrary, to melt ice you have to put energy into it. Water freezing into ice releases energy.
26:20 'Once you imagine developing DNA with righthanded amino acids then it sort of runs away and everything becomes more asymmetric' sounds somewhat cryptic and confusing  to me. From this statement I cannot infer any relation between chirality and matter/antimatter.
28:10 does the statement of Sacharov (that there has to be an  imbalance between matter and antimatter) come from some deeper theoretical physics, or from the fact that otherwise we would not be there?
32:20 'neutron weighs slightly less than proton'. For free nucleons, it is the other way round. (But the forming of deuterium (and even more) from 2 protons is exothermic.)
40:28 The (Oddo-Harkins) zig-zagging between odd and even nuclei (atomic number) is very interesting, alas it is not explained.
49:10 50 years? This looks like a violation of the best preserved nature constant, namely that commercial fusion is always 30 years ahead ;-)
49:15 Hiroshima another application of nuclear fusion? That was a fission bomb. Kilotons of dynamite? Kilotons are TNT-equivalent. TNT and dynamite are different chemical substances.
50:50 Gabon is not in France, it is an African country.

[pierretruchon]

According to Wikipedia and other sources, the masses of the proton and neutron are reversed, but exact. The neutron is heavier.

[schmetterling]

And this is why you shall not consult the Oxford English Dictionary for scientific definitions.

[pierretruchon]

Louis de Broglie died in 1987 not in 1962. (at 30:49), he was then 94.

[jfffjl]

Gravity is a force, or gravity is warping of space by mass. Why is this not a contradiction? What am I missing?

[anteconfig]

if we have to build bigger, then we're gonna need more Texans involved in particle physics.

[viewernow]

Q.Milky way is only one galaxy other galaxies can be use prototypes classify it ?
What does it mean sir

[naimulhaq]

I expected break through on how particles are produced from Feynman's quantum field. What is discussed is the usual stuff.

[davidwilkie]

When we observe the face of an analog clock, it's "the sum of all histories", the consequence of connected eternity positioning in axial 1D superposition-point pivot, drawn out and tangential 2D plane, => all the constituent units of time duration up to hours->forevermore are represented or implied, added together in one Quantum phase-state origin at one-zero.., from which the multi-phase Relative-Resonance Universe is a continuing instantaneous event/active temporally superimposed Perspective image(s). The Big Relative Dynamic Constant Bang of e-Pi-i.

Duration is potentially eternal in Planck time quanta units, and this is the same principle in Cosmology, except that, now-instantaneously, the analog mechanism, covers the complete 1-0D interval, zero to infinity, represented by the observable universe of QM-TIME, ..to the limits of physical measurement and potential mathematical analysis.

Philosophically, the Universe is complete and continuous in quanta-pulses of every scale and rate of change possible to analyze and identify. Eg the Quantum Fields Mechanism in the dualistic mathematical formula format, is equivalent to the probabalistic "rubber band" of String Theory in-form-ation, and instantaneously combined in the temporal superposition singularity, ..are the modulation-connection phase-state of the time duration Universe.

To be "not even wrong", a concept has to be unfounded in the unitary-function of temporal existence. The singularity-connection of QM-TIME is resolution-focus by the unit-vector substantiation, superposition mechanism inherent in QM-Time. So:-

"All things are made of Atoms", which are wave-package pulses of QM-Time modulation resonance in Superspin, multiphase-state images of the Universal Singularity, Eternity-now.


The "Trumpet diagram" is, in effect, the concept of Singularity modulation connection turned insideout by resonant constants of QM-Time, in a Single Side Band, "leaky-brane", multiphase-state, diagrammatic drawing of the here-now instant of Quantum Information Logic/Mathematics.

[redabdab]

50:51 Gabon is not in France. It’s in Africa