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Everything in the universe is made up of atoms.
Atoms are 99.9999999% empty space.
So that means you humans, the walls you want to walk through, and everything around you
is mostly empty space.
It’s mind boggling, but if that’s true, why can’t we pass through that empty space?
Atoms are made of electrons and a nucleus containing protons and neutrons.
We usually see atoms drawn like this, but these sketches are nowhere near to scale.
Let’s say an atom is the size of a melon.
If that’s the case, then the nucleus and the electrons would be too small to even see!
So yeah, there’s lots of empty space.
But it’s not entirely empty.
In those basic sketches of atoms, it’s usually illustrated that electrons orbit around the
nucleus just like our planet orbits the sun.
But in actuality, electrons swarm around that empty space in cloud formations.
Think about it like a fan.
It may seem like there’s lots of empty space, but when it’s turned on, you can see that
the blades are basically everywhere all at once.
Now, theoretically, if you tried to stick your hand into that fan, you’d see that
your hand and the fan blades can’t exist in the same place at once…
No, Triangle Bob, I said theoretically!
Anyway, two things cannot exist in the same place at once and the same goes for electrons.
This theory is called the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
No two electrons can be in the same state or configuration.
On a basic level, this is why you can’t walk through walls.
So, you can’t pass through an object, but did you know you actually can’t even touch
them either?
If you did stick your hand in that fan, you’d feel the blades hitting your hand, but you
wouldn’t actually be feeling the blades.
You’ve never truly felt an object ever!
Yes, i know this sounds pretty wacky, but bear with us.
You know how the negative end of a magnet repels other negative magnets?
That’s what’s happening when you try to touch anything.
It’s like there’s a little invisible force field between you and everything you touch.
It’s poked and prodded, but never broken.
It’s the same with everything else in the universe too.
Now, you obviously can’t, but if you were to actually walk through a wall, it would
basically break science.
Electrons are fermions and have to obey the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
But bosons, another type of subatomic particle, don’t.
And if fermions started acting like bosons, the Universe would be a very weird place.
My head hurts just thinking about it.
But we aren’t completely hopeless!
There’s still quantum tunneling, which is where a very tiny particle can make its way
across a barrier even though, according to classical mechanics, it doesn't have the energy
to do so.
And this isn’t just some wacky idea -- tunneling is used in scanning tunneling microscopes.
Basically, electrons have a small probability of tunneling between the surface of the solid
and a tiny tip on the microscope.
If you wanted to use phenomenon to walk through walls, you’d need every single particle.
in your body to tunnel through the barrier. And sadly, the probability of that happening is very, very small.
Thanks to my animator though, I can pass through whatever I like. See?
Although it does kinda make me feel funny right after.
If you could choose one super power, what would it be?
Let us know in the comment section below!
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As always, I'm Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking.