Little Things that Matter — Subatomic Particles

Back in the olden days, we were told in school that molecules make everything, and molecules are made of atoms. Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, with protons having a positive charge, neutrons are neutral, and electrons are negative. Right, got it. Is class dismissed yet? Not hardly!

Image credit: Pixabay / geralt

People toyed with the idea that if we could get extreme magnification, we'd see that there's another universe way, way down yonder with stars, galaxies, planets and intelligent beings. That's been pretty much dismissed, except for the final moment in the first Men in Black movie. If you want an interesting story from 1932 about a race from down there that comes up here to try and take over the world, click on "The Seed of the Toc-Toc Birds", by George Henry Weiss.

As research and knowledge progress, scientists should be humbled that there is still more to learn. There are several subatomic particles in quantum physics. (No, faster-than-light tachyons are only hypothetical, rejected by most physicists, so that "tachyon drive" stays in the realm of science fiction. Sorry.) Photons have no mass (so they are probably Protestant), yet the human eye can detect a single photon. These tiny particles are invoked in the magic of the Big Bang, and since there is not enough antimatter to match up with the matter, secular cosmologists invoke the baryon asymmetry problem. 

Particles have "spin", charges (including "color charge" that has nothing to do with the colors we see, but are used to keep track of things), so physicists have quite a bit to keep track of. You have your strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and a passel of other things going on. 

How did these particles evolve? Like common-ancestor evolution, it did not happen. The tiny particles are the product of the design of the Creator, having structure, order, and purpose. Here is a series of four articles that discuss the particles and what they do, and the implications for creation:

• Subatomic Particles, Part 1: Leptons
• Subatomic Particles, Part 2: Baryons, the Substance of the Cosmos
• Subatomic Particles, Part 3: Mesons
• Subatomic Particles, Part 4: Gauge Bosons, the Glue That Holds the Universe Together

Yes, it's a bit heady, but definitely worth your time. You may want to save the Web pages for reference.

 

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