Splitting of atoms and why not

Am i not right in saying that atoms are part of the building blocks of life?

Am i right in saying that whoever or whatever is behind life would be pretty p'd off with scientists destroying the building blocks of life instead of creating new with whatever is already there?

What happens when you split at atom? Doesn't it seem like the act of splitting an atom enrages nature and makes it unleash deadly force?

Discuss.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by TechUnique]

Nature itself releases energy from atoms. This is not an unnatural event. Where is the evidence of nature destroying atoms, you may ask? You can view this evidence in either daytime or night, by just peering into the sky. During the day, you can watch the sun doing this very operation and at night you can look at all of the beautiful stars twinkling in the heavens, doing the same exact thing.

--airspoon

Edit to change *split to *releasing energy. My mistake.

[edit on 24-8-2010 by airspoon]

An atom has no emotions. There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you please with atoms. Just typing this sentence I am moving and shifting sub-atomic particles, atoms, and molecules.

I am against nuclear bombs though, which are created by violently split atoms.

Originally posted by TechUnique
Am i not right in saying that atoms are part of the building blocks of life?

Could be...I'll check Wikipedia about that first.

Am i right in saying that whoever or whatever is behind life would be pretty p'd off with scientists destroying the building blocks of life instead of creating new with whatever is already there?

Whenever you create something, you destroy something else. Why would it not be p'd off with scientists destroying what is already made of what is already there?

What happens when you split at atom?

It becomes a collection of subatomic particles -- possibly new types of atoms, lower in rank in the period table.

Doesn't it seem like the act of splitting an atom enrages nature and makes it unleash deadly force?

Or generates electricity.

Discuss.

Done.

Originally posted by airspoon
Nature itself splits atoms. This is not an unnatural event. Where is the evidence of nature splitting atoms, you may ask? You can view this evidence in either daytime or night, by just peering into the sky. During the day, you can watch the sun doing this very operation and at night you can look at all of the beautiful stars twinkling in the heavens, doing the same exact thing.

--airspoon

[edit on 24-8-2010 by airspoon]

Actually the sun fuses atoms, it doesn't split them.

So in a sense he might have a point

Originally posted by airspoon
During the day, you can watch the sun doing this very operation and at night you can look at all of the beautiful stars twinkling in the heavens, doing the same exact thing.

That's actually fusing atoms into larger ones which releases energy, up to iron, not splitting them...unless you like that electric universe stuff.

reply to post by TechUnique

What happens when you split at atom?

A nuclear explosion, the process is called nuclear fission.

Doesn't it seem like the act of splitting an atom enrages nature and makes it unleash deadly force?

Yes, that "deadly force" is the binding energy.

[edit on 24/8/10 by CHA0S]

reply to post by TechUnique


I personally think you have a fantastic idea! You dont have to say if it's right or wrong for it to be interesting.

Originally posted by TechUnique
Am i not right in saying that atoms are part of the building blocks of life?

No, you are not. Atoms are building blocks of matter that surrounds us, and makes up complex molecules from which our bodies are formed.

Am i right in saying that whoever or whatever is behind life would be pretty p'd off with scientists destroying the building blocks of life instead of creating new with whatever is already there?

"Splitting atom" is nothing but a process of ionization, which happens routinely all around us. If you meant "splitting nuclei", well, even that is happening naturally on a grand scale everywhere.

I recommend a course in basic science. Physics, chemistry and biology are all interesting.


[edit on 24-8-2010 by buddhasystem]

Originally posted by buddhasystem
"Splitting atom" is nothing but a process of ionization, which happens routinely all around us. If you meant "splitting nuclei", well, even that is happening naturally on a grand scale everywhere.

I conversationally understand "splitting the atom" as meaning "splitting nuclei", not merely stripping electrons off or adding them, by say, rubbing a balloon on a cat.

Originally posted by EnlightenUp

Originally posted by buddhasystem
"Splitting atom" is nothing but a process of ionization, which happens routinely all around us. If you meant "splitting nuclei", well, even that is happening naturally on a grand scale everywhere.

I conversationally understand "splitting the atom" as meaning "splitting nuclei", not merely stripping electrons off or adding them, by say, rubbing a balloon on a cat.

Radioactive isotopes which decay through beta radiaton may be losing electron(s). This process may 'split' the nuclei: Potassium-40 typically decays through beta radiation to either Calcium-40 or Argon-40.

[edit on 8/24/2010 by abecedarian]

Originally posted by abecedarian
Radioactive isotopes which decay through beta radiaton may be losing electron(s). This process may 'split' the nuclei: Potassium-40 typically decays through beta radiation to either Calcium-40 or Argon-40.

It loses more than just an electron from the nucleus, not from the atom's shell, does it not? B+ decay loses positrons. The B- decay is actually a neutron conversion and B+ is a proton conversion.