Quantum Foam

The laws of quantum mechanics and relativity are quite perplexing however it is when the two theories are merged that things get really confusing. This combined theory predicts that empty space isn’t empty at all – it’s a seething and bubbling cauldron of matter and antimatter particles springing into existence before disappearing back into nothingness. Scientists call this complicated state of affairs “quantum foam.” In this video, Fermilab’s Dr. Don Lincoln discusses this mind-bending idea and sketches some of the experiments that have convinced scientists that this crazy prediction is actually true.

Related video:

[LibertyEver]

I bought a Cassimir Effect toaster and now I never buy bread. I push down the lever, the wires get hot, and two minutes later up pops a piece of toast and a piece of anti-toast, courtesy of the quantum foam. I eat the toast and throw the anti-toast out in my yard. Anti-birds gotta eat too.

[fermilab]

Empty space may not be all that empty after all.

[slappy]

If Schrödinger had used a parrot instead of a cat we could say it was just resting.

[liesdamnlies]

QED must be right. It's even got QED as it's initialism.

[benvrakas]

I love how your electron has a positive charge

[scrtpassword]

I studied physics at a university in chicago, im so close to fermilab and argonne. This channel always presents high level grad physics so well. I hope to be able to get a job there! 

[Benjuthula]

Nice. Thanks for posting. It's a travesty that Fermilab doesn't have more subscribers your videos are always fascinating and packed with information that's very simply and directly presented.

[mellowfellow]

The fundamental building blocks of our universe are made from the foamy head of a pan-dimensional cosmic beer. I like this idea.

[amihartz]

I've always heard of the double plate experiment but I never really understood it. This video explains it really well. Thanks!

[PatIreland]

PLEASE update this. Its been five years. What did the LHC find?

[TheDudeKicker]

I really appreciate that this guy's videos make the subject material understandable to the unwashed masses like myself, yet he doesn't treat you like a child and talk down to you or wave his hands like we need to be constantly stimulated.

[kristofferh]

Watching this video today (04.11.21) is pretty cool!
Congrats Fermilab!!!

[TheRealInscrutable]

Glad this popped up in my feed in light of the news now in 2021 of the G-2 experiment hitting 4.2 sigma. It still might fizzle but 5 sigma confidence is closer.

I'd also like to hear about the impact (or lack thereof) on the quantum foam on the clarity/crispness of the Hubble images. Did that ever get figured out?

[poposterous]

oh so this concept was definitely brainstormed in a pub

[dhruvpatel.]

01:08 shows the effort (the funny letter from a curious soul) put in by the team of Dr. Lincoln, Ian Krass and Fermilab, in each and every video, to explain the complex concepts in an engaging and comprehensible way! Keep it up!!

[danieljakubik]

Excellent presentation! Physics was my most favorite subject of my primary and secondary school years.

[omsingharjit]

You confused me again, you are saying electrons actually spin 6:55 but i have also heard that, it does not spin tha way object spin like earth !!!??

[jeremysnead]

Does this mean space is fluid and gravity is created by mass displacing space. What happened the fluid dynamics on a quantum level. Is the universe a bubble foaming expanding in to nothing? What is the viscosity of space if it is acts like a fluid? If space a Newtonian like liquid or Non?

[Bodyknock]

Seems to me it’s more accurate to say, rather than things are created from “nothing”, that everywhere there are fields which randomly undulate in various values and when these perturbations are great enough we perceive them as small particles. So “nothing” doesn’t exist, all that exists are things that momentarily look like nothing because they are temporarily at close to zero value in their field strengths so nothing is detectable. “Nothing” is just slightly calm spots in a turbulent ocean.

[mr]

Binging Dr Lincoln again, always so interesting!
There is also a video on the excellent 60 Symbols channel on the Casimir Effect that is quite good and complimentary.
60 Symbols is one of the channels from the University of Nottingham (so you know its real science... sometimes the algorithm suggests woo-woo...)