Home PBS Space Time Season 2024 Episode 17

Can a Particle Be Neither Matter Nor Force?

PBS Space Time · Season 2024 · Episode 17
All particles belong to two large groups: fermions like protons and electrons make everything we consider "matter", while bosons like photons and gluons transmit the fundamental forces. And that about covers the universe: matter moving through space and time under the action of forces. But what if we could create particles in between these two possibilities. Physics says these neither matter nor force anyons can exist, and they may have some pretty incredible uses. They’re called anyons.

Episode Details

Air date, runtime, timezone, and episode position.

Season
2024
Episode
17
Air Date
27/Jun/2024
Air Time
12:00
Runtime
22 min

Overview

Episode summary.

All particles belong to two large groups: fermions like protons and electrons make everything we consider "matter", while bosons like photons and gluons transmit the fundamental forces. And that about covers the universe: matter moving through space and time under the action of forces. But what if we could create particles in between these two possibilities. Physics says these neither matter nor force anyons can exist, and they may have some pretty incredible uses. They’re called anyons.

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