In our time: The vacuum of space
MAY 04, 2009
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.023304
BBC : When contemplating the vacuum of space, the 17th century physicistBlaise Pascal claimed “The eternal silence of these infinite spaces fills me with dread”.But were he around today, Pascal’s anguish might have been assuaged, for the vacuum of space, whilst certainly silent and possibly infinite, is by no means empty.It is a seething mass of particles, of interactions, forces and energy. To study it undermines the distinction between something and nothing, but by examining the nature of the vacuum we get closer to understanding the fabric of reality and the expansion of the universe.
© 2009 American Institute of Physics
