Did AI Prove Our Proton Model WRONG?

Did AI Prove Our Proton Model WRONG?

From PBS Space Time by PBS

May 3, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of protons and how AI may challenge existing models of particle physics.

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime The humble proton may seem simple enough, and they’re certainly common. People are made of cells, cells are made of molecules, molecules are made of atoms, atoms are made of electrons, protons, and neutrons. And protons are each made of three up or down quarks. Simple stuff, right? All except for that last part. Protons are actually made of many, many quarks that happen to look like three only when we look at them in a particular way. And even then, sometimes they’re made of 5 quarks - including the charm quark. Image Credit for 6:28 (https://youtu.be/TbzZIMQC6vk?feature=shared&t=388): Proton Animation. Courtesy of James LaPlante, Sputnik Animation. © MIT and Jefferson Lab, 2021, All Rights Reserved. The Visualizing the Proton Project is presented by the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology, Jefferson Lab, and US Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Check Our Matt on Star Talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson https://youtu.be/OcX7xpxOC2U Check out the Space Time Merch…

People in this episode

Host: Matt O'Dowd

Topics covered

  • protons
  • quarks
  • particle physics
  • AI
  • scientific models

Keywords

  • proton model
  • AI
  • quarks
  • particle physics
  • scientific research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PBS, MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology, Jefferson Lab, US Department of Energy’s Office of Science

More episodes of PBS Space Time

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the PBS Space Time podcast page.