• Question: I read online that when we are touching an objector surface that we are not really touching it . How is this possible?

    Asked by Leah to Ashley, Catherine, John G, Laura, Ray on 11 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Laura Tobin

      Laura Tobin answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      This is a great question and really difficult to explain. It has to do with quantum mechanics which deals with the behaviour of matter and its interactions with energy on the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. Even I as a physicist find it hard to understand.

      This video by MinutePhysics explains it really easy in 2 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BksyMWSygnc – much better than I can. All their video are really interesting, I personally love the video of why the colour pink doesn’t really exist.

    • Photo: John Ging

      John Ging answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      Its because there is no spoon!
      Its all fuzzy.

    • Photo: Catherine Conaghan

      Catherine Conaghan answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      Good for you asking questions about quantum physics already 🙂 It’s to do with how everything is made up of tiny atoms that transfer energy – but Laura’s link would explain it a lot better then I ever could!

    • Photo: Ray Alcorn

      Ray Alcorn answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      hi Leah

      good question and it really is down at the physics level. Whilst Laura is at it, maybe she can explain how much of it is theory and how much can be proven. It is very interesting that a lot of engineering is based on the premise of a theorem that is real and observable in our physical world, but not really provable at quantum level…. so as an electrical engineer.. no-one has satisfactorly explained electricity to me.. I know the equations etc that govern how it works or how it is observed to work.. but not why.. Maybe I will have to go back and do a physics degree.

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