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Jack
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Theoretical pjysics seems to be swamped by particles with unusual or rediculous names. What are the funniest named particles and what are their properties?
Originally posted by ObsessiveMathsFreak
The quarks have the most RIDICULOUS names of them all. Charm.
CHARM!
Named on a whim by all accounts.
And everybody just acceptted it. The others aren't so bad, but the actual name quark doesn't really mean anything. It was actually a nonsence word.
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
I think the quarks up and down have the most confusing names! I was telling my sister what a proton was made out of: 2 up quarks and 1 down quark. She was confused when I said "up" and "down". Why on Earth were they called such odd names?
I believe it to be in fact intentional. Science is now studiously avoiding meaningful names, since all the previous meaningfully named things have all turned out to be embarrassingly incorrect. Think atom (indivisible), electron orbitals etc. All of these have very different meanings from what they originally mean. Because we don't understand much about these newly discovered ones, we use funny names. And it helps undermine the mad scientist myth.Originally posted by MajinVegeta
I think the quarks up and down have the most confusing names! I was telling my sister what a proton was made out of: 2 up quarks and 1 down quark. She was confused when I said "up" and "down". Why on Earth were they called such odd names?
A particle pun is a play on words or phrase that incorporates the name of a particle, such as an elementary particle or subatomic particle, into a humorous context.
Examples of particle puns include "I lost an electron, are you positive?", "Why did the photon check into a hotel? Because it was in need of some light refreshment!", and "Why did the neutrino go to church? To get mass!"
Yes, some of the most common particles used in particle puns include protons, electrons, neutrons, photons, quarks, and neutrinos.
While particle puns may seem silly, they can actually help to make complex scientific concepts more approachable and understandable to a wider audience. They can also serve as a mnemonic device for remembering particle names and properties.
Anyone can make particle puns! However, having a basic understanding of particle physics and terminology may help in coming up with more clever and accurate puns.