More Maniac's Mumbled Meanderings

In the post called My Many Math Metaphors, I stated that "in actuality nothing in the world ever really "touches", but that is a whole other post". This is that post.

What is touching? Is it when the matter comes into "contact". We must keep in mind that on the quantum level, atoms don't touch each other. In fact they do everything they can to keep each other apart. The electromagnetic force keeps atoms from getting too close. When you stand on the earth, Gravity pulls you down, but electromagnetism keeps you up. There is always a space a vacuum between things. There is a lot of vacuum (empty space).

You and all matter is 99.9% not there. Let us just think of two atoms. In one atom there is the center nucleus and the electrons "hovering" around it. The nucleus has a diameter of about 10^-15 to 10^-15 meters wide and the nuclei of the two atoms in and average solid are 2*10^-10 meters apart. Let me put this in perspective. If we think of a baseball as one nucleus, then the next baseball should be located around 2/10th of mile away to make the electrons and stuff happy. In between that there are electrons, but not many and even then, electrons are freakin' small. In our model they would be more than 1000 times smaller than the baseball. NOTHING is in between the two nuclei and this is a solid. Makes you feel a little empty inside. Though in reality there is something in a vacuum, but that is a whole other post.

I know that some of you were boggled by the 4 or so "paradoxes" I gave. They are true, as long as you are thinking of them theoretically. In reality, none of them could be made or done. It is because the quantum level prohibits it. The math propositions all need to be able make infinitely small cuts, or additions, or pieces. In the real world you can only cut things so small. So you can't really double your money or anything like that, by making the right cuts.