Three hundred angel dancers skipped
for seventeen unending minutes
on
a pinwide width of birdsong caught
in flimsy branches
wind-swayed and quivering.
In case you're doubtful,
let me
run that past you one more time:-
Three hundred antimatter atoms (antihydrogen, in fact)
jigged about
for seventeen long minutes
cradled
by magnetic force fields
in a man-made vacuum.
Neither version seems more likely
or unlikely than the other.
Some slight brush, a passing contact
with any substance from the world we know
would have sufficed for them
to interactively destruct
for each to cancel out the other.
The vacuum could not hold.
What, I wonder, if it had?
And what, I wonder could not hold in the Big Bang?
Had the Big Bang managed more consistency
with mankind's intellect
then matter and its antimatter
would have found a perfect balance
thereby annihilating everything
before anything got going.
Which is why
the scientists of Cern are playing with the angels.
Their next step is to bathe their particles in microwaves
illuminate them with their laser beams
hoping to discover
what it was went wrong in the Big Bang
and how the hell this universe survived?
The experiment to which this poem refers was conducted in CERN's Large Hadron Collider a couple of weeks ago, so is somewhat behind the times - goodness knows what they might have done by know!
I regret that I am now about to disappear again for a few days. This weekend we have our daughter's 25th Wedding Anniversary, which I mentioned earlier. It was one of the reasons for my week away from blogging. I was preparing some photo-montages for the occasion. On this occasion, however, the posts will continue to appear - notice my restored faith in Blogger. Hopefully, I shall be visiting etc today, then not again until Monday, or perhaps Tuesday, when I shall do my best to catch up. This would be a good time, I think, to thank all those friends who helped to keep the site ticking over last time. Much appreciated. Adieu, wish us some good weather!
10 comments:
Good weather and very happy celebrations Dave - Sunday looks like being the best day weather-wise.
As for your poem and the explanation - sorry can't comment - just thinking about it makes my brain hurt!
I don't understand the theory but I enjoyed the poem! (If that makes any sense)
Enjoy your break from blogging - and yes fingers crossed for the weather.
All the best on the anniversary celebrations for your family and the poem was rather incredible. When I had heard of the experiment being done I thought you might write about it and the poem was brilliant! I too am on a bit of a break from blogger. I am heading up to Ithaca NY afterwork friday and will photograph some of its many gorges and waterfalls.
The science is lost on me but the concept of the poem is wonderful.
I'm with Weaver of Grass. The concept makes my brain hurt. I do admire someone who can embrace both science and language with passion.
Enjoy your festive occasion, Dave.
The Weaver of Grass
Ouch, you weren't meant to worry about the science - not unless it's what turns you on! Thanks, though. And thanks for the good wishes.
jane
Thanks. Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I hope no one's confusing me with Stephen Hawking, we've only the last four letters in common.
Carl
All the best for your trip. Can't wait to see the results!
Jim
I guess it was not understanding the science that forced me to the concept.
Mary
Thanks for both - the concept and the good wishes.
I can understand your disquiet. What those jolly little scientists get up to there bothers me. Surely the more confident they become in the belief that they can control the very elements of life itself - the more dangereous they and their little games become.
That aside - have a damn good trip!
Anna :o]
I reckon the big bang will always be just a theory, fantastic poem :-).
I love the first stanza of this and the whole science element of it is mind expanding to say the least
My thanks to all three
I guess all of science at the so-called cutting edge is just theory that will be replaced by another in time. When I started teaching we were preaching the continuous creation theory. But the games that scientists are apt to play - now they are something altogether different... they ARE likely to end one day!
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