Can a Particle Be Neither Matter Nor Force?

Can a Particle Be Neither Matter Nor Force?

From PBS Space Time by PBS

April 29, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of anyons, particles that are neither matter nor force, and their potential applications in physics.

Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra + up to 20Gb Saily data here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/spacetime It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Check out the Space Time Merch Store https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime 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. PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE Sign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements! https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetime Search the Entire Space Time Library Here: https://search.pbsspacetime.com/ Hosted by Matt O'Dowd Written by Fernando Franco Félix & Matt…

People in this episode

Host: Matt O'Dowd

Topics covered

  • particles
  • matter
  • forces
  • anyons
  • physics
  • quantum mechanics

Keywords

  • anyons
  • matter
  • force
  • fermions
  • bosons
  • quantum physics
  • particles

Sponsors

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PBS

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