What physical laws ? Molecules laid out on a copper surface using a scanning tunnelling microscope. © IBM Research Division's Zurich laboratory By "nanoworld", we mean the world of molecules and atoms. When we enter this world, it is not only dimensions that change, it is also governed by different laws. On this scale, the traditional laws of physics can no longer explain the behaviour of particles and we have to turn to the laws of quantum physics. These laws predict unusual, counterintuitive behaviour, such as the tunnel effect, or the fact that it is impossible to simultaneously identify the speed and position of an electron: we cannot know its exact position, but only its probable location. |
Finding out how atoms were first manipulated by researchers.
