The world is not made of things from "summary" of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli
In the heart of his theory, Democritus claimed that all things are made of indivisible particles, which he called atoms. This idea was the beginning of the long and challenging journey that led to the discovery of the world of quantum mechanics. The essence of Democritus' vision was that the world is not made of things, but rather of entities that are not things. These entities, which we now call elementary particles, are not constant and eternal, as the ancient philosopher thought, but instead are ephemeral and uncertain. We now know that they are not solid and unchangeable but are instead in continuous flux. According to this understanding, the world is made of events rather than things. These events are interactions between various particles, constantly changing and evolving. This view challenges our perception of reality, as it suggests that what we perceive as solid and stable is, in fact, a dynamic and ever-changing dance of particles. This shift in perspective can be disorienting but also liberating, as it opens up a whole n...
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