Scientists Find Evidence a Strange Group of Quantum Particles Are Basically Immortal

[Judi Lynn]

MICHELLE STARR4 JAN 2020

Nothing lasts forever. Humans, planets, stars, galaxies, maybe even the Universe itself, everything has an expiration date. But things in the quantum realm don't always follow the rules. Scientists have found that quasiparticles in quantum systems could be effectively immortal.

That doesn't mean they don't decay, which is reassuring. But once these quasiparticles have decayed, they are able to reorganise themselves back into existence, possibly ad infinitum.

This seemingly flies right in the face of the second law of thermodynamics, which asserts that entropy in an isolated system can only move in an increasing direction: things can only break down, not build back up again.

Of course, quantum physics can get weird with the rules; but even quantum scientists didn't know quasiparticles were weird in this particular manner.

"Until now, the assumption was that quasiparticles in interacting quantum systems decay after a certain time," said physicist Frank Pollman of the Technical University of Munich back in June 2019.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-find-evidence-a-strange-group-of-quantum-particles-are-basically-immortal?perpetual=yes&limitstart=1

[Throck]

1. Sheldon?

[Newest Reality]

2. Hmmm...

Will this require an update to the dharma of the first mark of existence? That is, everything is impermanent? Well, out true nature is timeless and unborn/undying, so, this is rather edgy.

[FM123]

3. Wow, so interesting.

My elderly dad doesn't see very well so he is always very excited when I read science news to him - he is just going to love this article! Thanks.

[empedocles]

4. "Basically Imortal' - fine turn of phrase