The whole thing is an abstraction. The nucleus isn’t actually tiny ball shaped things mashed together, but rather cloudy stuff which would probably not be identical if we could actually see them. The quarks that make up protons and neutrons are considered elementary particles and identical, but they don’t move around much unless energy is used to split them.
The electron however is an elementary particle that moves outside of the nucleus and can move from one atom to another. So the hypothesis is that if we could follow one electron from the big bang to the end of the universe, and this electron could move both forwards and backwards in time, it would potentially be enough with just one.
It probably doesn’t hold up very well, but it’s an interesting thought experiment.
Maybe, because we can measure the number of protons and neutrons with an ion accelerator? I don’t know if the something similar can be done with electrons.
Don’t most sub-atomic particles have the same charge and mass? Why just electrons?
The whole thing is an abstraction. The nucleus isn’t actually tiny ball shaped things mashed together, but rather cloudy stuff which would probably not be identical if we could actually see them. The quarks that make up protons and neutrons are considered elementary particles and identical, but they don’t move around much unless energy is used to split them.
The electron however is an elementary particle that moves outside of the nucleus and can move from one atom to another. So the hypothesis is that if we could follow one electron from the big bang to the end of the universe, and this electron could move both forwards and backwards in time, it would potentially be enough with just one.
It probably doesn’t hold up very well, but it’s an interesting thought experiment.
Quarks and gluons are a roiling, seething sea of energy. The particles move at fractions the speed of light.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZfmG_h5Oyg
No, electrons are much smaller than protons, which are slightly smaller than neutrons.
I think they meant “aren’t all protons the same as other protons?, neutrons as other neutrons?, etc.”
Yeah exactly. I couldn’t think of how to phrase that exactly without a long explanation though.
It made sense to me. I also struggled to phrase it without sounding like I was insulting them for misunderstanding you.
You’d have to ask John Wheeler, which would be difficult since he died in 2008.
Just get the electron to ask him next time it goes back in time, duh
I would, but I only speak positronic.
Data?!
Nah, I only speak positronic. He thinks it.
Maybe, because we can measure the number of protons and neutrons with an ion accelerator? I don’t know if the something similar can be done with electrons.