The Big Questions: Physics (31 page)

A fluid that exhibits no friction. The motion of a stirred superfluid continues indefinitely.

supersymmetry

A theory that gives known particles a hypothetical ‘superpartner’ that is much heavier but has a related quantum spin. Supersymmetry is an important part of the attempts to unify all the forces of nature.

thermodynamics

The study of how energy will create heat, work and entropy in a physical system.

time dilation

A prediction of special relativity, borne out in experiments, that says the flow of time is altered by relative motion or by the presence of a gravitational field.

vacuum energy

The energy inherent in otherwise empty space–time. It is due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which does not allow space–time to have zero energy for any finite period of time.

weak force

The short-range force that affects all matter particles. It is responsible for, among other things, some forms of radiation.

wormhole

A hypothetical shortcut through space–time that could be used for time travel.

A

absolute zero
62
,
201

aeolipile
60

alchemy
58

algebra
67
–8

alpha radiation
51
,
79
–80,
201

Anaximenes of Miletus
10

Anderson, Carl
166

animals and magnetic field
107

anthropic principle
173
–4,
201

antielectron
165
–6

antimatter
164
–9,
201

chemistry
170

fountain
170

imbalance between matter and
169
–71

propulsion
167

antineutrino
171

antiquarks
169
,
171

Apollo
astronauts
102

Archimedes
8
,
191

Aristarchus of Samos
11

Aristotle
18
,
20
,
115

Physics
18,
39

Aspect, Alain
125

asteroid storm
138

astralagi
67

atomic bomb
14
,
16
,
114

atomos
49

atoms
19
,
29
,
48
–56

emptiness of
51
–2

nucleus
51
–3,
56
,
79
–80,
153
,
203

smashing together
79
–82

splitting of
153

Augustine, Saint
27
,
191

aurora borealis
111

average man, concept of
68

B

Bainbridge, Kenneth
14

bandwidth
195

Becquerel, Henri
50

Bell, John
125

Bell Labs
14
–15

Berkeley, Bishop George
123
–4,
129

beta radiation
184
–5,
201

bifurcation
139

Big Bang
26
,
63
,
75
,
87
–8,
90
,
130
,
158
,
160
,
162
–4,
169
,
173
,
201

biological chaos
138
–42

birds, migrating
107

bit
194
–5

black holes
25
–6,
83
,
99
,
195
–6

singularity
26
,
99

Bohr, Niels
29
–30,
32
–5,
37
,
73
–5,
123
–4

Book of Genesis
162

Born, Max
30

Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)
55
–6

bosons
154
,
188
,
201

Higgs
46
,
76
–84,
202

W and Z
46
–7,
77
–8,
80
–2,
185
,
204

Bostrom, Nick
177

Brahmagupta
58

branes
160
,
164

Bruno, Giordano
87

butterfly effect
133
–43

C

Calabi-Yau spaces
157

calculus
116

carbon atoms
49
,
52
,
54
,
176

Carlson, John
105

Carnot, Sadi
62
–4

On the Motive Power of Fire
61

Carter, Brandon
173
–4

Cavendish, Henry
40

CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research)
76
,
80
,
125
,
166
–8

Chadwick, James
52

chaos theory
133
–43

chaotic inflation
90

chaotic systems
70
–1

Chinese
104

chronology protection conjecture
101
–2

Clarke, Samuel
116

Clausius, Rudolph
64

climate
see
weather clocks
17
,
22
,
24

closed universe
118
,
174

compactification
157
,
160
–1,
201

computers
194
–5

quantum
36
–7,
126

conservation
59
–60,
117
–18

Cook, Captain
110

Copernican principle
173

Copernicus
11

corpuscular theory of light
145
–7

cosmic microwave

background (CMB) radiation
161
,
163
,
201

cosmic rays
166

cosmic strings
97
–8,
101

cosmological constant
90
–1

critical universe
174
–5

Curie, Pierre and Marie
22
,
50

D

da Vinci, Leonardo
57
–9

Dalton, John
50

dark energy
75
,
90
,
190
,
201

de Broglie, Louis
28
–9,
34
–5

de Honnecourt, Villard
58
–9

decoherence
37

delayed choice experiments
127
–9

Democritus
49

Descartes, René
145

diamonds
49
,
54

dice
67
–8,
70

Dick, Philip K.
172

Digges, Thomas
86
–7

Dirac, Paul
164
–6,
170

dither
69

DNA
111
,
179

Dos Utt, Pierre
57

double pendulum
137

double slit experiment
32
–6,
92
,
127
,
130
,
146
,
152
,
201

Dryden, John
16

du Châtelet, Emilie
117

E

E=mc
²
equation
12
,
45
–6,
54
,
114
–22

Earth, inner core of
106
,
108

Eddington, Arthur
128

Egyptians, ancient
145

Einstein, Albert
11
–13,
20
–1,
29
–32,
85
–6,
123
,
149

awarded Nobel Prize in physics (1921)
148

Bose-Einstein condensate
55
–6

cosmological constant
90
–1

discovery of photons
12
,
147
–8

and E=mc
²
equation
12
,
45
–6,
54
,
114
–22

EPR paradox
125

mass and energy
47

‘On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies’ paper (1905)
120

proves light comes in particle form
12
,
144
,
147
–8

and quantum theory
12
,
30
–1,
74
,
123
–5,
184

relativity theories
see
relativity

Einstein-Rosen bridge
98
–9

ekpyrotic universe
160

electricity
108
,
119

and magnetism
119
–20,
183
–4

electromagnetic force
77
–8,
82
,
182
,
185
–6,
201
,
204

electromagnetism
12
,
119
–20,
149
,
183
–4,
191

electrons
13
,
45
,
50
–1,
92
,
198
,
201

electronvolts (eV)
79

electroweak force
77
–8,
185
,
187
,
201

elements
39
,
190

energy
57
–65,
115
–18

conservation
59
–60,
117
–18

dark
75
,
90
,
190
,
201

definition
115

kinetic
59
–60,
118
,
202

and mass
45
–7,
119
–22

negative
63
,
100
–1

potential
59
,
203

relationship with body’s motion
116
–17

entanglement
36
,
124
–6,
198
–9,
201

entropy
19
,
64
–5

EPR paradox
125

equivalence principle
44

Escher
98

eternal inflation theory
87
–8,
90
–1

ether
20
,
146
–7

Euclid
145

European Organisation for Nuclear Research
see
CERN

event horizon
25
–6,
195
–6

Everett, Hugh
92
–4,
102

F

Faraday, Michael
119
,
183

Fermilab’s Tevatron
81
,
84

fermions
154
–5,
188

Feynman, Richard
11
–13,
130
,
147
–8

fifth element
190
,
192

forces

electromagnetic
77
–8,
82
,
182
,
185
–6,
201
,
204

electroweak
77
–8,
185
,
187
,
201

fundamental
202
,
204

Higgs field
78
–9

strong
53
–4,
182
,
184
–7,
203
–4

weak
77
–8,
84
,
169
,
184
–6,
204

see also
gravity

fractals
140
–1,
202

fruit flies
69

fullerene molecule
34
–6

G

Galileo
39
–40

gamma ray
170
,
202

gas
48

gauge bosons
204

Gauss, Carl Friedrich
105
–6,
110