Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?

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  1. oh_1993's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Posts: 673
    Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?
    At first people thought atoms were fundamental, then protons, neutrons etc. and now quarks. is it possible that there is no fundamental particle and there is an infinite series of smaller and smaller particles within one another?

    Discuss
  2. Fleming92's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Location: StAndrews
    • Posts: 26
    Re: Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?
    What you would be describing is super string theorey!

    In basic terms electrons and quarks and other particles are made up of one dimensional vibrating strings of energy.

    So really you dont break down a quark into smaller pieces, you just see these string things oscillating about haha
  3. noobynoo's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Posts: 1,639
    Re: Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?
    I second the notion. One theory used to be N=8 supergravity which said that all particles (electrons, quarks, etc.) can all be thought of as the same particle in different orientations in some abstract "super-space".

    String theory also said that all the different particles can be thought of as different modes of vibration on a tiny string.

    What all this means is that every type of particle is connected to every other by some overarching symmetry.


    It's not really possible that electrons, quarks. etc. are made of smaller particles since they only have a few quantum numbers: charge, spin, mass. (A proton or atom for example has can have many different angular momentums and energy states which shows it is made of smaller things).
  4. OneMorePanda's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Location: Bristol
    • Posts: 30
    Re: Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?
    We don't know.
  5. youbonkers's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 334
    Re: Could it be possible that there is no fundamental particle?
    Look up preon theory

    Most physicists have rubbished it now (old theory) but still an interesting read
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