Atoms are not things from "summary" of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
The idea that atoms are not things may seem strange at first. After all, we are used to thinking of atoms as the building blocks of matter, the smallest units of stuff that everything is made of. But the truth is that atoms are not solid, permanent entities. They are more like clouds, consisting of tiny specks of matter held together by invisible forces. In fact, atoms are mostly empty space. If you were to magnify an atom to the size of a football stadium, the nucleus at its center would be no larger than a grain of rice. The rest of the atom is made up of electrons whizzing around at incredible speeds. These electrons are not like little planets orbiting a sun, as was once thought. Instead, they exist in a state of constant flux, appearing as particles in some situations and waves in others. This ...
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