10/06/2004

The Theory of Everything

David Gross, David Politzer and Frank Wilczek have been awarded the Nobel prize for their work in physics.

Their investigation into the odd way in which quarks interact has proven quite enlightening. It would seem that the attraction between quarks increases with distance. This runs counterintuitive to everything else that we understand.

Most other attractive forces are regulated by the inverse square rule (e=i/r2) . In other words, the further two attractors are apart, the less force is exerted to pull them together.

Scientists had long wondered why they couldn't blast the two "up" quarks and the "down" quark in a proton apart in particle accelerators. This theory explains the reason. As the proton is impacted the quarks are indeed rattled by the blow and as they fly apart, the attractive force between the quarks increases, pulling the shattered proton back together.

This theory essentially outlines the "strong" force that has puzzled scientists for so long.

Way to go guys! Now all we have to do is eliminate that pesky limit placed on C (the speed of light).
Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com