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The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 12 2008 at 9:57 AM
 

 
The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Fermilab and symmetry breaking
Source:
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2008/10/08/fermilab-and-symmetry-breaking/

My comment.
Quotations from: Fermilab and symmetry breaking

Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on symmetry breaking in the world of elementary particles and forces.
Nambu’s formulation of symmetry breaking allows physicists to explain why there is matter in the universe,
while the work of Kobayashi and Maskawa provides the theoretical tools to explain why the universe contains no antimatter.
When physicists discuss symmetries, they refer to things that appear identical.
Symmetry breaking is a way of explaining why things look different from each other.
=========.
Sadovnik.
How is possible to speak about antimatter if nobody knows what antimatter is?
==========.
From the combination of spontaneous symmetry breaking and electroweak
unification comes an exciting prediction: a new particle called the Higgs boson.
The Higgs is the hammer that breaks the symmetry and gives different particles
different masses.
============ ===.
Sadovnik.
Does “the combination of spontaneous symmetry” describe
Physical or pure Mathematical process?
Does anybody find “ the Higgs boson “?
=========.

Currently, close to a thousand physicists from around the world are searching
for the Higgs boson in collisions produced by the Tevatron accelerator at Fermilab.
Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa formulated a mechanism to explain symmetry breaking between matter and antimatter, typically called CP violation.
============ ===.
Sadovnik.
This mechanism explains symmetry breaking between “matter and antimatter”,
between things which we don’t know.
==========.
In 1963, Nicola Cabibbo made a modification to Enrico Fermi’s theory of the weak interactions to explain the observed decay rates of heavy quarks into light quarks. Cabibbo showed that the strength of the weak force differs for different quarks.
Kobayashi and Maskawa expanded upon these ideas and made further modifications to allow for a difference in the interactions between quarks and those between antiquarks.
The combined picture, the Cabbibo-Kobayashi- Maskawa matrix, describes all the interactions of quarks.
The CKM picture of the universe allows for the difference in the behavior of matter and antimatter that allowed matter to survive after the Big Bang, while antimatter disappeared from the universe.
============ ====.
Sadovnik.
1) Nobody saw quark.

2) Comment by VERGON :
Years ago, I attended a lecture at Caltech by Gell-Mann in which he
explained why he developed the THEORY of the quark. He was looking for
a common denomenator to the atomic zoo -- a common denominator of
characteristics. He found some (3) and didn't know what they really
were so he called them Quarks. Later he found more, so he had 6. From
there the theory grew like topsey and develped colors -- BECAUSE THEY
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY WERE. Some theory.
(Then there's "up" "down" --- and I'm waiting for "sideways" )
The quark has never been isolated. So instead of admitting there was no
such thing, it was pronounced that it could not escape the nucleus. How
convenient..
Bill uses as an argument that the rest of humanity believes in the
quark. Humanity believed in Ptolemy's universe for FOURTEEN CENTURIES.
And more recently, practically all of humanity celebrated New Year 2000
as the beginning of a new milleniuim while the FACT is the new
millenium started with the year 2001.
"Humanity" can be very stupid at times.
A more apropos story for the non-existent quarks is the fable about the
King who wore no clothes. Everybody commented on how COLORFUL his
clothes were (the same colors as have quarks) but, alas, the king was
naked.
If anyone wants to read a theory of the sub-particle structure of the
universe, they can go to http://www.wbabin. net (The General Science
Journal) --find the list of authors pull down -- click on Vertner
Vergon and read the monograph, "On the Quantum as a Physical Entity".

/ VERGON ./

3) Is “the Big Bang “ real and complete theory?
============ ====.
Besides helping to explain the absence of antimatter, Kobayashi and Maskawa’s
theories make many other predictions that experimental discoveries
at Fermilab have shown to be true.
The KM mechanism predicted the existence of a third generation of elementary particles.
Of the particles in this third generation, 75 percent have been discovered at Fermilab: the bottom quark, the top quark, and the tau neutrino.
==========.
Sadovnik.
So, we must search new “a third generation of elementary particles. “
My opinion.

In 1906, Rutherford studied internal structure of atoms,
bombarding them with high energy a- particles.
This idea helped him understand the structure of atom.
But the clever Devil interfered and gave advice to physicists
to enlarge the target. Bomb them!
And physicist created huge cannon-accelerators of particles.
And they began to bomb micro particles in the vacuum, in hoping
to understand their inner structure. And they were surprised with
the results of this bombing. Several hundreds of completely new
strange particles appeared. They lived a very little time and do not
relate to our world. Our Earth needs its real constants of nature.
But this was forgotten.
What God carefully created, is destroyed in accelerators.
And they are proud of that. They say: we study the inner structure
of the particles. The clever and artful Devil is glad. He again has deceived man.
Physicist think, that an accelerator - is first of all the presence of huge energy.
And the Devil laughs. He knows, that an accelerator - is first of all the Vacuum.
But this, he has withheld from man.
He has not explained that the Vacuum is infinite and inexhaustible.
And in infinity there is contained an infinite variety of particles.
And by bombing the vacuum, one can find centaurs and sphinxes.
But my God, save us from their presence on Earth.
========= .. ========.
Rutherford was right.
His followers are mistaken.
Why?
Imagine, that I want to plant a small apple- tree.
For this purpose I shall dig out a hole of 1 meter width and 1,20 m depth.
It is normal.
But if to plant a small apple- tree, I shall begin to dig
a base for a huge building (skyscraper) ,
or if to begin drill ground with 10 km. depth,
will you call me a normal man?
========== .. ============ ===.
Imagine a man who breaks watches on the wall.
And then he tries to understand the mechanism of the watches
by thrown cogwheels, springs and small screws.
Does he have many chances to succeed?
As many as the scientists have who aspire to understand
the inner structure of electron by breaking them into accelerators.
If not take into account the initial conditions of Genesis,
the fantasies of the scientists may be unlimited.
========== . ======== .
The Nature works very economical.
For example, biologists know 100 ( hundred ) kinds of
amino acids. But only 20 ( twenty) kinds of amino acids
are suitable to produce molecules of protein, from which all
different cells created on our planet. What are about another
80 % of amino acids? They are dead end of evolution.
The physicists found many ( 1000 ) new elementary particles in
accelerators. But we need only one ( 1) electron and one (1 )
proton to create first atom, to begin to create the Nature.
All another elementary particles (mesons, muons , bosons, taus,
all their girlfriends - antiparticles, all quarks and antiquarks…etc)
are dead end of evolution.
============ .
What was before - “ the big bang” or the vacuum ?
The physicists created “ Europe ’s Large Hadron Colider “
Please, look at how our physicists made this accelerator.
They made the vacuum and after they generated a big reaction
between two colliding particles in some small imitation of the
“big bang”. They didn’t make this process in the reverse.
So, what was prior in the Universe: “ big bang” or vacuum?
============ ========= ======..
The Universe as whole is Vacuum, first of all.
========.

In 1964, Cronin and Fitch discovered CP violation in K mesons. The KM mechanism, formulated to explain Cronin and Fitch’s discovery, also predicted still further differences in the way matter and antimatter relate to each other. This led to the discovery of a new type of CP violation in kaons at Fermilab and to the discovery of matter-antimatter oscillations in Bs mesons at the Tevatron. Another prediction pointed to a new way to produce heavy particles, a mechanism also discovered at Tevatron experiments through the observation of single top quarks.
As in the case of matter generation, physicists expect to find the Higgs boson at the heart of matter–antimatter asymmetry. With a lot of work and a little luck, the Higgs boson may be the next great discovery at Fermilab to grow out of the work of these latest Nobel laureates and many other great physicists of our times.
============ =======.
Sadovnik.
Now mathematics goes ahead of science and physics follows it.
Mathematicians carry the posters: “Forward to abstraction”,
“Forward to the absurd” and we all follow them.
We march bravely on the dinosaur’s path.
============ ====.
Best wishes.
Israel Sadovnik. / Socratus.

============ ====.

 
 Respond to this message   
AuthorReply

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 12 2008, 2:21 PM 

Sadovnik.
How is possible to speak about antimatter if nobody knows what antimatter is?
==========.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: We know what Antimatter is, why did you state that?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the combination of spontaneous symmetry breaking and electroweak
unification comes an exciting prediction: a new particle called the Higgs boson.
The Higgs is the hammer that breaks the symmetry and gives different particles
different masses.
============ ===.
Sadovnik.
Does “the combination of spontaneous symmetry” describe
Physical or pure Mathematical process?
Does anybody find “ the Higgs boson “?
=========.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: I don't believe the Higgs is a good prediction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Currently, close to a thousand physicists from around the world are searching
for the Higgs boson in collisions produced by the Tevatron accelerator at Fermilab.
Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa formulated a mechanism to explain symmetry breaking between matter and antimatter, typically called CP violation.
============ ===.
Sadovnik.
This mechanism explains symmetry breaking between “matter and antimatter”,
between things which we don’t know.
==========.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: What? Did you miss that it is Dark Matter which is unidentified?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 1963, Nicola Cabibbo made a modification to Enrico Fermi’s theory of the weak interactions to explain the observed decay rates of heavy quarks into light quarks. Cabibbo showed that the strength of the weak force differs for different quarks.
Kobayashi and Maskawa expanded upon these ideas and made further modifications to allow for a difference in the interactions between quarks and those between antiquarks.
The combined picture, the Cabbibo-Kobayashi- Maskawa matrix, describes all the interactions of quarks.
The CKM picture of the universe allows for the difference in the behavior of matter and antimatter that allowed matter to survive after the Big Bang, while antimatter disappeared from the universe.
============ ====.
Sadovnik.
1) Nobody saw quark.

2) Comment by VERGON :
Years ago, I attended a lecture at Caltech by Gell-Mann in which he
explained why he developed the THEORY of the quark. He was looking for
a common denomenator to the atomic zoo -- a common denominator of
characteristics. He found some (3) and didn't know what they really
were so he called them Quarks. Later he found more, so he had 6. From
there the theory grew like topsey and develped colors -- BECAUSE THEY
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY WERE. Some theory.
(Then there's "up" "down" --- and I'm waiting for "sideways" )
The quark has never been isolated. So instead of admitting there was no
such thing, it was pronounced that it could not escape the nucleus. How
convenient..
Bill uses as an argument that the rest of humanity believes in the
quark. Humanity believed in Ptolemy's universe for FOURTEEN CENTURIES.
And more recently, practically all of humanity celebrated New Year 2000
as the beginning of a new milleniuim while the FACT is the new
millenium started with the year 2001.
"Humanity" can be very stupid at times.
A more apropos story for the non-existent quarks is the fable about the
King who wore no clothes. Everybody commented on how COLORFUL his
clothes were (the same colors as have quarks) but, alas, the king was
naked.
If anyone wants to read a theory of the sub-particle structure of the
universe, they can go to http://www.wbabin. net (The General Science
Journal) --find the list of authors pull down -- click on Vertner
Vergon and read the monograph, "On the Quantum as a Physical Entity".

/ VERGON ./

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: Quarks are just a mislabeled phenomenon, I actually proposed an explanation for them which is sensible, and consistent with current experiments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3) Is “the Big Bang “ real and complete theory?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: It's misled, but a good start. No it isn't complete yet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
============ ====.

Besides helping to explain the absence of antimatter, Kobayashi and Maskawa’s
theories make many other predictions that experimental discoveries
at Fermilab have shown to be true.
The KM mechanism predicted the existence of a third generation of elementary particles.
Of the particles in this third generation, 75 percent have been discovered at Fermilab: the bottom quark, the top quark, and the tau neutrino.
==========.

Sadovnik.
So, we must search new “a third generation of elementary particles. “
My opinion.

In 1906, Rutherford studied internal structure of atoms,
bombarding them with high energy a- particles.
This idea helped him understand the structure of atom.
But the clever Devil interfered and gave advice to physicists
to enlarge the target. Bomb them!
And physicist created huge cannon-accelerators of particles.
And they began to bomb micro particles in the vacuum, in hoping
to understand their inner structure. And they were surprised with
the results of this bombing. Several hundreds of completely new
strange particles appeared. They lived a very little time and do not
relate to our world. Our Earth needs its real constants of nature.
But this was forgotten.
What God carefully created, is destroyed in accelerators.
And they are proud of that. They say: we study the inner structure
of the particles. The clever and artful Devil is glad. He again has deceived man.
Physicist think, that an accelerator - is first of all the presence of huge energy.
And the Devil laughs. He knows, that an accelerator - is first of all the Vacuum.
But this, he has withheld from man.
He has not explained that the Vacuum is infinite and inexhaustible.
And in infinity there is contained an infinite variety of particles.
And by bombing the vacuum, one can find centaurs and sphinxes.
But my God, save us from their presence on Earth.
========= .. ========.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: wut? Why do you assume there is an infinite anything within this Universe? Have you considered the logical ramifications of that concept?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rutherford was right.
His followers are mistaken.
Why?
Imagine, that I want to plant a small apple- tree.
For this purpose I shall dig out a hole of 1 meter width and 1,20 m depth.
It is normal.
But if to plant a small apple- tree, I shall begin to dig
a base for a huge building (skyscraper) ,
or if to begin drill ground with 10 km. depth,
will you call me a normal man?
========== .. ============ ===.
Imagine a man who breaks watches on the wall.
And then he tries to understand the mechanism of the watches
by thrown cogwheels, springs and small screws.
Does he have many chances to succeed?
As many as the scientists have who aspire to understand
the inner structure of electron by breaking them into accelerators.
If not take into account the initial conditions of Genesis,
the fantasies of the scientists may be unlimited.
========== . ======== .
The Nature works very economical.
For example, biologists know 100 ( hundred ) kinds of
amino acids. But only 20 ( twenty) kinds of amino acids
are suitable to produce molecules of protein, from which all
different cells created on our planet. What are about another
80 % of amino acids? They are dead end of evolution.
The physicists found many ( 1000 ) new elementary particles in
accelerators. But we need only one ( 1) electron and one (1 )
proton to create first atom, to begin to create the Nature.
All another elementary particles (mesons, muons , bosons, taus,
all their girlfriends - antiparticles, all quarks and antiquarks…etc)
are dead end of evolution.
============ .
What was before - “ the big bang” or the vacuum ?
The physicists created “ Europe ’s Large Hadron Colider “
Please, look at how our physicists made this accelerator.
They made the vacuum and after they generated a big reaction
between two colliding particles in some small imitation of the
“big bang”. They didn’t make this process in the reverse.
So, what was prior in the Universe: “ big bang” or vacuum?
============ ========= ======..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: It hasn't been fully activated yet, first.
Second: you don't seem to comprehend the subject you're speaking of.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Universe as whole is Vacuum, first of all.
========.

In 1964, Cronin and Fitch discovered CP violation in K mesons. The KM mechanism, formulated to explain Cronin and Fitch’s discovery, also predicted still further differences in the way matter and antimatter relate to each other. This led to the discovery of a new type of CP violation in kaons at Fermilab and to the discovery of matter-antimatter oscillations in Bs mesons at the Tevatron. Another prediction pointed to a new way to produce heavy particles, a mechanism also discovered at Tevatron experiments through the observation of single top quarks.
As in the case of matter generation, physicists expect to find the Higgs boson at the heart of matter–antimatter asymmetry. With a lot of work and a little luck, the Higgs boson may be the next great discovery at Fermilab to grow out of the work of these latest Nobel laureates and many other great physicists of our times.
============ =======.
Sadovnik.
Now mathematics goes ahead of science and physics follows it.
Mathematicians carry the posters: “Forward to abstraction”,
“Forward to the absurd” and we all follow them.
We march bravely on the dinosaur’s path.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max: Well, at least you're not confused about math being reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 12 2008, 3:26 PM 



Hi I.S;


According to the report:
“Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on symmetry breaking in the world of elementary particles and forces. The prize recognizes the pioneering development of a picture of nature that has had a major impact on physics at Fermilab and at other laboratories around the world. Nambu’s formulation of symmetry breaking allows physicists to explain why there is matter in the universe, while the work of Kobayashi and Maskawa provides the theoretical tools to explain why the universe contains no antimatter.”
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/2008/10/08/fermilab-and-symmetry-breaking/


That is quite unusual! In the past, the Nobel prizes in physics were awarded to experimental works or theoretical works verified or supposed to be verified by experiments. But that symmetry breaking stuff is purely theoretical, and isn't even counted among the most important theoretical works. In my view, the 2008-Nobel-Prize Committee, not only has broken longstanding traditions, but also by its own new standards has done clear injustice by overlooking the outstanding mainstream work by Stephen Hawking and by awarding the less important work above: http://www.hawking.org.uk/










 
 

AAF

October 13 2008, 2:27 PM 

I don't know what to make of it either. They even overlooked Max™'s fantastic Wad theory.

 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 13 2008, 3:41 PM 



Curt;

I believe there is a minimum period of about (20 years) for a scientific work to be considered for the Noble Prize. Max's theory, therefore, hasn't been qualified for the Nobel nomination yet!






 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 13 2008, 5:02 PM 

It's called Simply Relativity, Curt.

If you wanted to classify it crudely, it would be a Thread Theory.

AAF is correct, I've still got a while to go before I get my Nobel, though technically I'm just continuing the work Einstein and Godel started, unfortunately I was born 50 years too late to talk with them about it.

 
 
bob s

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 13 2008, 8:28 PM 

Max, October 13 2008, 5:02 PM

“AAF is correct, I've still got a while to go before I get my Nobel, though technically I'm just continuing the work Einstein and Godel started, unfortunately I was born 50 years too late to talk with them about it.”

I’ve got 20 years on your 20 years Max and I’ll have my Nobel for the SS Eldridge long before you get yours for that “waddie” thing. I’m back in the hunt now that I have the right postulate ie The past ain’t cast in stone! Which of course I will attribute to... ole what’s his name?

bob s October 10 2008, 8:01 PM

““Supposedly?” Indeed, Curt, I gave a lecture on the U.S. destroyer escort USS Eldridge once. I won’t go into great detail, but the short version is, the Eldridge actually went back in time, not forward, and it seems that the extreme electromagnetic field acted on (Newton’s first law) the absolute rest frame of the singularity and caused the Big Bang, the Eldridge, in effect, caused itself into existence and, of courses, the rest of the universe as well. I won a prize for my talk as well as notoriety.

I went on with my thesis that there were a multitude of Eldridges causing a multitude of universi, other considerations forced me to abandon my quest for a Nobel though.”

bob s

 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 14 2008, 12:15 AM 




Bob;
I presume this 'USS Eldridge' was a real ship and not just one of those ghost ships in the Bermuda Triangle that pop in and out of a space-time rift in Einstein's Universe:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1205_021205_bermudatriangle.html






 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 14 2008, 1:37 AM 

About the Eldridge AAF,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experiment
“The Philadelphia Experiment was an alleged naval military experiment at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sometime around October 28, 1943, in which the U.S. destroyer escort USS Eldridge was to be rendered invisible (i.e. a cloaking device) to human observers for a brief period. It is also referred to as Project Rainbow.

The story is widely regarded as a hoax.[1][2][3] The U.S. Navy maintains that no such experiment occurred, and details of the story contradict well-established facts about the Eldridge.[4] It has nonetheless caused ripples in conspiracy theory circles, and elements of the Philadelphia Experiment are featured in other government conspiracy theories.”

A conspiracy?? No way, if you conducted an experiment that caused the Big Bang AAF, would you admit it?

bob s

 
 

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 14 2008, 1:48 AM 




Absolutely, Bob; this Invisible-Ship experiment is much more realistic and scientific than most of those
of the Hadron-Collider experiments!



 
 
Israel Sadovnik

Re: The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics.

October 16 2008, 11:57 AM 

Dr. Nambu's work is very interesting.
The following discussion is from the New York Times:

Ever since Galileo, physicists have been guided in their quest for the ultimate laws of nature by the search for symmetries, or properties of nature that appear the same under different circumstances. “It’s the lamppost we search under,” said Michael Turner, an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago.
One example of an obvious symmetry is a snowflake, which looks the same when you rotate it one-sixth of a turn. Another is Einstein’s theory of relativity, which says the laws of physics are the same no matter what speed. However, in the 1960s, Dr. Nambu, inspired by studies of superconductivity, suggested that some symmetries in the laws of elementary particle physics might be hidden, or “broken” in actual practice. “You have to look for symmetries even when you can’t see them,” Dr. Turner said.
The principle of symmetry breaking is now embedded in all of modern particle physics. The $8 billion Large Hadron Collider, a giant particle accelerator soon to go into operation outside Geneva, was designed largely to find a particle known as the Higgs boson, which is theorized to be responsible for breaking the symmetry between electromagnetism and the so-called weak nuclear force, imparting mass to many particles that in theory are massless.
Imagine a pencil balanced on its point on a table — one of physicists’ favorite examples. To the pencil while it is still on its point, all directions along the table are the same. But the standing pencil is unstable and will eventually fall onto the table pointing in only one direction.
Applying this notion to a puzzle in the subatomic realm, Dr. Nambu explained why a particle known as the pion, which carries the strong nuclear force that holds atomic nuclei together, was much lighter than the protons and neutrons inside it. If it were not so light, the strong force would not extend far enough to stick nuclei heavier than hydrogen together, said Daniel Friedan, a physicist at Rutgers.
The fact that the pion is light, he said, explains why there is a variety of atoms in the world. “There is a variety of atoms because there is a variety of nuclei,” Dr. Friedan wrote in an e-mail message.
In 1972, Dr. Kobayashi and Dr. Maskawa, extending work by the Italian physicist Nicola Cabibbo, showed that if there were three generations of the elementary particles called quarks, the constituents of protons and neutrons, the principle of symmetry breaking would explain a puzzling asymmetry known as CP violation.
At the time, only three kinds of quarks were known: the up and down quarks, which make up most ordinary matter, and the strange quark. In 1974, the so-called charmed quarks were discovered. The last pair, the bottom and top quarks, were discovered in 1977 and 1994, completing the three generations of two quarks each predicted by Dr. Kobayashi and Dr. Maskawa.
The CP violation — C and P stand for charge and parity, or “handedness” — was discovered in 1964 by the American physicists James W. Cronin and Val L. Fitch — a discovery that also won a Nobel Prize. Until then, physicists had assumed that exchanging positive for negative and left-handed for right-handed in the equations of elementary particles would result in the same answer.
The fact that nature operates otherwise, physicists hope, is a step toward explaining why the universe is made of matter and not antimatter, one of the questions that the Large Hadron Collider is also designed to explore.
============

 
 

Israel Sadovnik on quarks

October 16 2008, 2:54 PM 

The article stated that quarks have been "discovered."

This is also a tautology, since they have not been "discovered," they have been invented. "Sherlock" discovered them by reasoning from other unobserved assumptions. House of cards is the apt description.

 
 
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