Are atoms really made of nothing?

• Friday, 9 May 2008
• Marion Williamson
• 0 Comments

picture of an atom like structure

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If nothing is really solid and everything is made of atoms... does that mean I can put my hand through this wall?

I finally got around to watching the excellent BBC documentary, Atom, which a friend had videoed for me ages ago. I remember reading somewhere that if an atom was the size of a cathedral - the solid actual matter stuff would be the size of a 50p piece. A fact that was pretty much backed up by the TV programme. Does this mean that, as everything is made of atoms, that everything is made of not very much at all? Why then can't I put my hand through this computer screen?

But what was even more intriguing, and has baffled quantum physicists for years, is that atoms only appear to exist when you try and measure them. So what do they do when they're not being observed? It sounds to me like they lurk around the edge of reality taunting scientists that they might not exist at all. And if they don't exist, what does this say about us, and everything in our world and, indeed, the nature of reality? Huh?

This got us thinking over our tea and muffins this morning. Surely this means there's not much substance to reality - or that you affect reality just by 'observing' it, thinking about it? Does this make any sense at all to anyone? Is there a budding quantum physicist out there willing to explain this theory to me like I am a two-year-old?