Carl Sagan on the Atom and Infinity
from Dreaming in the Void Hosted by Dreaming in the Void
Dreaming in the Void blog | Other sounds "But deep inside the atom, hidden far beneath the outer electron cloud, is the nucleus composed chiefly of protons and neutrons. Atoms are very small. A hundred million of them, end to end, would be about so big and the nucleus is a hundred thousand times smaller still. Nevertheless, most of the mass in an atom is in the nucleus. The electrons are by comparison just bits of moving fluff. Atoms are mainly empty space. Matter is composed chiefly of nothing. When we consider cutting this apple pie, but down beyond a single atom, we confront an infinity of the very small. And when we look up at the night sky, we confront an infinity of the very large. These infinities are among the most awesome of human ideas. They represent an unending regress which goes on, not just very far, but forever." Carl Sagan Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh4F5BQ8hgw
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