So I’ve been known to nerd out from time to time. Okay, I nerd out a lot, and it’s all over different things. So today’s nerd moment is a concept from physics that I’ve been mulling over for quite some time.
It’s called absolute zero. It’s something we can never, ever achieve, because it goes against the second law of thermodynamics. And because it’s impossible, it’s fun to speculate the idea of what would happen if we ever did truly achieve absolute zero.
By this point, I’ve either lost readers, or everyone is wondering what in the world absolute zero is. But only a true nerd would blog about this, so that tells you what you, as a reader, are getting into.
Temperature, to explain in a physical sense, is the speed of particles. If something is cold, the particles are moving very slowly. If something is hot, the particles move faster. This is why solids are tightly compacted and gases are able to expand; water, in ice form, is very cold and therefore its particles move slowly and keep it together. In steam form, the particles are hot and moving very fast, allowing the gas to go everywhere if not contained. Therefore, absolute zero is exactly as it sounds: it is 0 degrees on the Kelvin scale, –273.15 degrees Celsius, and –459.7 degrees for those of us in the states using Fahrenheit. In other words: it’s freakin’ cold.
At cold temperatures, atoms move very, very slowly, basically slowing movement to a small vibration if it’s cold enough. At absolute zero, motion stops completely. The atoms are not moving at all, and the electrons surrounding an atom are not moving randomly in their orbitals as they should. Nothing is moving at all at absolute zero. So this raises the question of what happens when things that are constantly in motion just stop.
credit:http://wikibon.org/blog/unhackable-encryption/
I’ve heard many theories on what could happen at this point, but the coolest one I’ve heard is the one I’ll mention here, though I question whether or not this could even be the case in absolute zero. One theory is that once all motion of electrons around an atom cease, it will allow particles in a solid to separate. The constant movement of electrons bumping into other electrons it comes in contact with keeps things from going through each other. So, if they stop, the theory is that solids could move through other solids because that constant bumping is not there to prevent it. We could walk through things. This concept blows my mind. This concept also presents the idea that if nothing is moving, what would happen to the perception of time? What about the perception of space? Would they cease as well? It’s hard to fathom, but I find it fascinating.
Now, whether or not this theory has any actual weight to it, who knows. I would research more into it, but 1.) it’s a cool idea, 2.) I don’t want to shatter that concept for myself, and 3.) there are many theories out there including this one. Unfortunately, the closest we’ve ever come is around one billionth of a degree (in Kelvins) above absolute zero. It would take an infinite amount of steps of pulling heat and energy away from a particle in order to achieve absolute zero, which is why we can only ever hope to get so close.
Nerd rant over. What concepts blow your mind?
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