Brain Cox explains the biggest science experiement in human history: The Large Hadron Collider.
No field of science is more misunderstood than that of quantum mechanics. A famous physicist named Richard Feynman once said that “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” This is testimony to the complexity of the field, and at the same time, a humble admission that we should not get ahead of ourselves.
Quantum mechanics is the study of the smallest constituents of the fabric of our reality. It’s the study of the pieces and forces that make up everything. This field is incedibly mature, and yields some of the most accurate predictions in all of science. It also explains a world that is so foreign to our everyday experience. A world where particles exist in many places at once, and even where the concept of time seems to have little influence.
Currently in Europe, there is a machine being built called the Large Hadron Collider. It’s purpose is to put some of the most modern theories in physics to the test including: String Theory, Supersymmetry, and the existence of the predicted Higgs particle.
It is a truly exciting time, because almost everything reduces down to this field of science. If we understand how everything works at it’s most core level, we can start working our way back up the chain into other areas of science where many mysteries still remain.
There is a lot of excitement right now in this field of science. To give you an example of the depth of the possibilities, we present to you an inspirational yet highly controversial take on where this all might be headed:
Brian Greene on String Theory and the problems that still remain in physics.