
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
- How Earth ACTUALLY Moves Across the Galaxy · June 13, 2026 · 25 min
- Heisenberg Made a Discovery in 1925. We Still Can't Fully Account for It · June 13, 2026 · 33 min
- The Final Obstacle to (Nearly) Infinite Energy · June 12, 2026 · 26 min
- Do We Need an UPDATED Dark Matter Model? · June 12, 2026 · 20 min
- How Are Quasiparticles Separate From Particles? · June 12, 2026 · 20 min
- What Supernova Distance Would Initiate Mass Extinction? · June 12, 2026 · 20 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the PBS Space Time podcast page.