Not So Sure

Discussion in 'Physics & Math' started by JoeBlow, Mar 17, 2002.

  1. JoeBlow Registered Member

    Messages:
    7
    Question. Our body is made of tiny particles known as atoms. These atoms go on to form elements, and the elements go on to form compounds. I'm sure everybody is familliar with this delicately intricate process, but what I'd like to know is more of a theological question. What if one of the elements in our body become unstable, and the only means to survive such a catostrophe is by mutating our body to adapt? That could only be possible if matter could be tossed around and molded like it's clay of course, but we may have the technology available in the not so distant future. Then what, do I have God's permission to become an intersteller travelling kitty-cat?
     
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  3. JoeBlow Registered Member

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    Its pretty sorry when you find youself replying to your own thread, gee-whizzz. For example the unstable particle in our body is carbon. It becomes unstable after an undtermined period of time(my math stinks), because of its half-life to time ratio or something like that. Lets say 1 billion years from now. With a life expectancy of at least another 14 billion years to go, why stop having fun fust because of a simple little carbon unstability in the univers?
     
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  5. Adam §Þ@ç€ MØnk€¥ Registered Senior Member

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    If we become immortal, I don't think we need to worry too much about the half-life of our constituent atoms. We tend to recycle all our bits over time anyway.
     
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  7. KneD Le Penseur Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
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    I want to know more....

    hmmm, isn't that just a little optimistic.....?????
    but that would be another thread, wouldn't it...

    and indd, we are one big recycle machine.

    but; I don't know anything about it, so let's add a few questions:
    -What is the half-time ratio of carbon, and how much difference is there in half-time between two carbon atoms (max. and min.)?
    -Do we obtain carbon from decline of other elements, so, do we really 'recycle' carbon?
    -What happens when a atom becomes unstable, and why is there a certain time needed before that happens?

    hmmm, let's keep it at this........have a nice-mind-cracker about this

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  8. Hevene Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    369
    Can I just correct something, tell me if I'm wrong.

    an atom is an element, elements are a single atom but different element differs due to the difference in the number of proton, neutrons and electrons. But atoms don't make elements, sub-atomic particals does.

    and
    If the atom is stable, it wouldn't become unstable unless undergone fission or fusion that knocks out an proton or neutron. The unstable ones will try to become stable by emitting an proton etc.
    We all have unable stoms in our body, the isotops of the "normal" - stable ones still does the same job as the unstable ones, but they will decay to become stable, and the rate for them to decay to half of their original mass is their half life. Usually they are pretty long, and we'll be long gone before they did, so there's no point to worry. Compare to the amount of radiations we recieve from the environment, they seemed non-important as all. I'm not sure if our body mutate to adapt, but I think it is more like we mutate, and in some cases like cancer it cause problems, but if somehow the condition of the environent changes, if the mutation is an advantage to it, we will survive better than the unmatated ones, and that's how natural selection works. So I think, mutation is does not occur for us to better adapt to certain situations.
     

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