There are basically two kinds of substances in the universe — matter and anti-matter.
Matter is what we see in the universe — protons, electrons, etc.
Antimatter particles have opposite electric charges to their matter counterparts.
They share identical mass.
When they meet, they instantly destroy each other in a process called annihilation, releasing energy — Einstein’s famous equation, E=mc2
Laozi may have known this. Maybe that’s why he has a yinyang theory!
The theory is that matter and antimatter are produced during the big bang, and they are theoretically produced in equal amounts.
If that is so, then we shouldn’t be here — neither does everything else. The universe would then be just energy — can you imagine that (anyway, there won’t be any you or me or John Lennon to imagine anything).
So why are you (or me) here?
Answer: breaking of symmetry
AI: “The imbalance between matter and antimatter, known as baryon asymmetry, exists because early universe conditions allowed matter to slightly outnumber antimatter, violating perfect symmetry. For every billion antimatter particles, a billion-and-one matter particles were created, leaving a small surplus of matter after mutual annihilation, forming the universe.
Who imagined such a thing as violation of the law of physics?
Two Chinese scientists (who later rightly got their Nobels)
Chen Ning Yang, along with Tsung-Dao Lee, revolutionized particle physics by proposing in 1956 that parity (P) symmetry—the assumption that nature acts the same in a mirror image—is violated in weak interactions. This groundbreaking work, confirmed experimentally by Chien-Shiung Wu, directly led to the recognition of Charge-Parity (CP) violation, explaining why matter dominates the universe.
So, here we are….
Another question: is antimatter of any use?
AI:
Yes, antimatter has significant practical uses in medicine and scientific research.
The most common medical application is Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, which use positrons (the counterpart of electrons) to detect cancers, brain disorders, and heart issues.
In science, antimatter is used for probing material defects and in fundamental physics research.
I’m so happy that whatever the theory, we can get antimatter to do some good.
I’m writing, not as a physicist (my last lesson in physics was in high school in the later 1960s), but as a (pediatric) oncologist. A few days ago, I’ve just ordered a PETCT scan for 12-year old boy with lymphoma in the chest. The scan shows clearly that it is confined to the chest and hasn’t spread anywhere else. I’m so happy.
This is thus a stage 1 lymphoma, and this boy will very likely be cured.
Positron, antimatter — what a wonderful thing to have