Prologue. knowledge of existence or what is the smallest particle in the universe? The smallest particle in the universe

Incredible facts

People tend to pay attention to large objects that immediately attract our attention.

On the contrary, small things may go unnoticed, although this does not make them any less important.

Some of them we can see with the naked eye, others only with the help of a microscope, and there are those that can only be imagined theoretically.

Here's a collection of the world's smallest things, ranging from tiny toys, miniature animals and people to a hypothetical subatomic particle.

The smallest pistol in the world

The smallest revolver in the world SwissMiniGun it looks no bigger than a door key. However, looks can be deceiving, and the pistol, which is only 5.5 cm long and weighs just under 20 grams, can shoot at a speed of 122 m per second. This is enough to kill at close range.

The smallest bodybuilder in the world

According to the Guinness Book of Records Aditya "Romeo" Dev(Aditya “Romeo” Dev) from India was the smallest bodybuilder in the world. At just 84 cm tall and weighing 9 kg, he could lift 1.5 kg dumbbells and spent a lot of time improving his body. Unfortunately, he died in September 2012 due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.

The smallest lizard in the world

Kharaguan sphero ( Sphaerodactylus ariasae) is the smallest reptile in the world. Its length is only 16-18 mm and its weight is 0.2 grams. He lives in national park Jaragua in the Dominican Republic.

The smallest car in the world

At 59 kg, the Peel 50 is the smallest production car in the world. About 50 of these cars were produced in the early 1960s, and now only a few models remain. The car has two wheels in front and one in the back, and reaches a speed of 16 km per hour.

The smallest horse in the world

The smallest horse in the world named Einstein born in 2010 in Barnstead, New Hampshire, UK. At birth, she weighed less than a newborn baby (2.7 kg). Her height was 35 cm. Einstein does not suffer from dwarfism, but belongs to the Pinto horse breed.

Smallest country in the world

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world. This is a small state with an area of ​​only 0.44 square meters. km and a population of 836 people who are not permanent residents. The tiny country surrounds St. Peter's Basilica, the spiritual center of Roman Catholics. The Vatican itself is surrounded by Rome and Italy.

The smallest school in the world

Kalou School in Iran has been recognized by UNESCO as the smallest school in the world. In the village where the school is located, only 7 families live, with four children: two boys and two girls, who attend the school.

The smallest teapot in the world

The smallest teapot in the world was created famous master on ceramics Wu Ruishen(Wu Ruishen) and it weighs only 1.4 grams.

The smallest mobile phone in the world

Modu phone is considered the smallest mobile phone in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. With a thickness of 76 millimeters, it weighs only 39 grams. Its dimensions are 72 mm x 37 mm x 7.8 mm. Despite its tiny size, you can make calls, send SMS messages, play MP3s and take photos.

The smallest prison in the world

Sark Prison in the Channel Islands was built in 1856 and accommodates one cell for two prisoners.

The smallest monkey in the world

Pygmy marmosets, which live in tropical wet forests South America, are considered the tiniest monkeys in the world. An adult monkey weighs 110-140 grams and reaches a length of 15 cm. Although they have fairly sharp teeth and claws, they are relatively docile and popular as exotic pets.

The smallest post office in the world

The smallest postal service, WSPS (World's Smallest Postal Service) in San Francisco, USA, translates your letters into miniature form, so the recipient will have to read it with a magnifying glass.

The smallest frog in the world

frog species Paedophryne amauensis at 7.7 millimeters long, it is found only in Papua New Guinea, and is the tiniest frog and smallest vertebrate in the world.

The smallest house in the world

Most little house in the world American company Tumbleweed by architect Jay Shafer is smaller than some people's toilets. Although this house is only 9 square meters. meters looks tiny, it holds everything you need: workplace, bedroom, bathroom with shower and toilet.

The smallest dog in the world

In terms of height, the smallest dog in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records is the dog Boo Boo– Chihuahua height 10.16 cm and weight 900 grams. She lives in Kentucky, USA.

In addition, it claims to be the smallest dog in the world. Maisie- a terrier from Poland with a height of only 7 cm and a length of 12 cm.

The smallest park in the world

Mill Ends Park in the city of Portland, Oregon, USA - this is the smallest park in the world with a diameter of only 60 cm. In a small circle located at the intersection of roads there is a butterfly pool, a small Ferris wheel and miniature statues.

The smallest fish in the world

Fish species Paedocypris progenetica from the carp family, found in peat bogs, grows to only 7.9 millimeters in length.

The smallest man in the world

72 year old Nepalese man Chandra Bahadur Dangi(Chandra Bahadur Dangi) with a height of 54.6 cm was recognized as the shortest person and man in the world.

The smallest woman in the world

The shortest woman in the world is Yoti Amge(Jyoti Amge) from India. On her 18th birthday, the girl, with a height of 62.8 cm, became the smallest woman in the world.

Smallest police station

This small phone booth in Carabella, Florida, USA is considered the smallest working police station.

The smallest baby in the world

In 2004 Rumaisa Rahman(Rumaisa Rahman) became the smallest newborn child. She was born at 25 weeks and weighed only 244 grams and was 24 cm tall. Her twin sister Hiba weighed almost twice as much - 566 grams and was 30 cm tall. Their mother suffered from severe pre-eclampsia, which can lead to giving birth to smaller children.

The smallest sculptures in the world

British sculptor Ullard Wigan(Willard Wigan), who suffered from dyslexia, did not excel academically and found solace in creating miniature works of art that are invisible to the naked eye. His sculptures are placed in the eye of a needle, reaching dimensions of 0.05 mm. His recent works, which are called nothing less than “the eighth wonder of the world,” do not exceed the size of a human blood cell.

The smallest teddy bear in the world

Mini Pooh Bear created by a German sculptor Bettina Kaminski(Bettina Kaminski) became the tiniest hand-sewn teddy bear with movable legs measuring just 5 mm.

The smallest bacterium

The smallest virus

Although there is still debate among scientists about what is considered “living” and what is not, most biologists do not classify viruses as living organisms because they cannot reproduce and are not capable of exchange outside the cell. However, a virus can be smaller than any living organism, including bacteria. The smallest single-stranded DNA virus is porcine cirocovirus ( Porcine circovirus). The diameter of its shell is only 17 nanometers.

The smallest objects visible to the naked eye

The smallest object visible to the naked eye is 1 millimeter in size. This means that when necessary conditions you will be able to see a common amoeba, a slipper ciliate and even a human egg.

The smallest particle in the Universe

Over the last century, science has made huge strides towards understanding the vastness of the Universe and its microscopic building materials. However, when it comes to the smallest observable particle in the Universe, some difficulties arise.

At one time, the smallest particle was considered to be an atom. Then scientists discovered the proton, neutron and electron. Now we know that by smashing particles together (as in the Large Hadron Collider), they can be broken down into even more particles, such as quarks, leptons and even antimatter. The problem is only in determining what is less.

But at the quantum level, size becomes irrelevant, since the laws of physics to which we are accustomed do not apply. So some particles have no mass, some have negative mass. The solution to this question is the same as dividing by zero, that is, it is impossible.

The smallest hypothetical object in the Universe

Considering what was said above that the concept of size is inapplicable at the quantum level, we can turn to the well-known string theory in physics.

Although this is a rather controversial theory, it suggests that subatomic particles are composed of vibrating strings, which interact to create things like mass and energy. And although such strings do not have physical parameters, the human tendency to justify everything leads us to the conclusion that these are the smallest objects in the Universe.

This world is strange: some people strive to create something monumental and gigantic in order to become famous throughout the world and go down in history, while others create minimalist copies of ordinary things and amaze the world with them no less. This review contains the smallest objects that exist in the world and at the same time are no less functional than their full-size counterparts.

1. SwissMiniGun pistol

The SwissMiniGun is no bigger than a regular wrench, but it is capable of firing tiny bullets that fly out of the barrel at speeds in excess of 430 km/h. This is more than enough to kill a person at close range.

2. Peel 50 car

Weighing just 69kg, the Peel 50 is the smallest car ever approved for road use. This three-wheeled Pepelats can reach a speed of 16 km/h.

3. Kalou School

UNESCO recognized Iran's Kalou School as the smallest in the world. There are only 3 students and former soldier Abdul-Muhammad Sherani, who works as a teacher.

4. Teapot weighing 1.4 grams

It was created by ceramic master Wu Ruishen. Although this teapot weighs only 1.4 grams and fits on your fingertip, you can brew tea in it.

5. Sark Prison

Sark Prison was built in the Channel Islands in 1856. There was room for only 2 prisoners, who were in very cramped conditions.

6. Tumbleweed

This house was called "Perakati Field" (Tumbleweed). It was built by Jay Schafer from San Francisco. Although the house is smaller than some people's closets (it's only 9 square meters), it has a work space, a bedroom and a bathroom with shower and toilet.

7. Mills End Park

Mills End Park in Portland is the smallest park in the world. Its diameter is only... 60 centimeters. At the same time, the park has a swimming pool for butterflies, a miniature Ferris wheel and tiny statues.

8. Edward Niño Hernandez

Edward Niño Hernandez from Colombia is only 68 centimeters tall. The Guinness Book of Records recognized him as the smallest man in the world.

9. Police Station in a Phone Booth

In essence, it is no bigger than a telephone booth. But it was actually a functioning police station in Carabella, Florida.

10. Sculptures by Willard Wigan

British sculptor Willard Wigan, who suffered from dyslexia and poor school performance, found solace in creating miniature works of art. His sculptures are barely visible to the naked eye.

11. Mycoplasma Genitalium bacterium

Although there is still debate about what is considered "living" and what is not, most biologists do not classify a virus as a living organism due to the fact that it cannot reproduce or does not have metabolism. A virus, however, can be much smaller than any living organism, including bacteria. The smallest is a single-stranded DNA virus called porcine circovirus. Its size is only 17 nanometers.

13. Amoeba

The smallest object visible to the naked eye is approximately 1 millimeter in size. This means that under certain conditions a person can see an amoeba, a slipper ciliate, and even a human egg.

14. Quarks, leptons and antimatter...

During last century scientists have achieved great success in understanding the vastness of space and the microscopic “building blocks” of which it is composed. When it came to figuring out what the smallest observable particle in the universe was, people encountered some difficulties. At one point they thought it was an atom. Scientists then discovered a proton, a neutron and an electron.

But it didn't end there. Today, everyone knows that when you smash these particles into each other in places like the Large Hadron Collider, they can be broken down into even smaller particles like quarks, leptons, and even antimatter. The problem is that it is impossible to determine what is smallest, since size becomes irrelevant at the quantum level, and all the usual rules of physics do not apply (some particles have no mass, while others even have negative mass).

15. Vibrating strings of subatomic particles

Considering what was said above regarding the concept of size having no meaning at the quantum level, one might think of string theory. This is a slightly controversial theory that suggests that all subatomic particles are made of vibrating strings that interact to create things like mass and energy. Thus, since these strings technically have no physical size, it can be argued that they are in some sense the "smallest" objects in the Universe.

What may be large to some organisms may seem small to others. For humans, small can be anything from cells we can't see with the naked eye to miniature versions of the big things we create with my own hands. So, we've put together a list that covers all of these little items. Here are the 10 smallest things that actually exist.

10 PHOTOS

1. The smallest pistol.

The miniature SwissMiniGun C1ST revolver is no bigger than a key, but is capable of firing tiny bullets at speeds of over 450 km. at one o'clock. The first examples were made in 2005, are outlawed in the United States and cost around $6,200.

Barry Drummond is the only resident of Cass, New Zealand, a railway town in the Selwyn region. However, he is hardly alone, as curious tourists constantly stop by to visit the isolated stop. As a result, Drummond added a miniature golf course and bowling alley to attract more visitors to brighten up his company.

In 2012, researchers from Papua New Guinea discovered a frog measuring 6.8 mm in length, making it the world's smallest vertebrate. Her name is Paedophryne amauensis , and she was discovered while recording the voices of frogs and after an unfamiliar sound that sounded more like an insect. They were found in the leaves of a tree line, where they were well camouflaged, and became the first non-fish to earn the title of the world's smallest vertebrate.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal was 55 cm tall, making him the world's smallest person to ever live. He died in 2015 at the age of 75. The title then went to Hagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal, who is 63.01 cm tall.

At just 84 cm tall and weighing 9.5 kg, Aditya "Romeo" Dev from India has become the smallest bodybuilder in the world. He retained this title until his death in 2012.

Sark Prison, found in the Channel Islands between England and France, was built as a girls' school in 1841 and was converted into a small prison in 1856.

World's smallest house is the title given to the Airbnb lime green mobile home you can rent for $55 a night in Boston. Built by artist Jeff W. Smith, the house is on wheels and contains a stove and toilet, although there is no electricity. Smith delivers it wherever you like, as long as the landowners allow it. 10. The smallest non-living organism.

Although there is still some debate about what is considered "living" and what is not, most biologists would not classify a virus as a living organism due to the fact that it cannot reproduce or metabolize on its own. However, a virus can be much smaller than any living organism, including bacteria. The smallest is a single DNA strand virus, porcine circovirus, which is only 17 nanometers across.

Measuring the length of your “weapon of love” is a popular and very ancient men’s pastime. According to legends, even divine beings willingly participated in it. Let us remember the same Priapus - the ancient Greek god of fields and gardens, who measured the length of his penis with the donkey of Dionysus, and won (although there is a version that he lost, got angry and killed the winner). And during the Renaissance, codpieces came into fashion - richly decorated pouches for the male organ. This main decoration of the costume was proudly displayed for all to see, to the envy of his rivals.

Many men believe that how good they can be in bed depends solely on the size of their penis. And there is indeed a grain of truth in this, because several things related to sex depend on the size of the penis, including a woman’s likelihood of achieving orgasm.

The average length of an erect phallus is in the range 12.9-15 cm. But a penis in an adult less than 7 cm long is referred to in medicine as a “micropenis”.

After studying statistics from Wikipedia and other sources, we found out in which countries the men with the smallest penises live and who has not just a “micro”, but almost a “nanopenis” in the world.

Countries where men with the smallest penises live

Here is a picture that shows the size of manhood depending on the country of residence. These data, provided by the Australian National Health and Welfare Agency, are the result of both online surveys (in which many probably added a couple of extra centimeters) and measurements from the tip of the erect penis to the pubic bone.

• The title of men with the smallest penis in the world (on average 10 cm) goes to Koreans. However, there are other studies conducted in South Korea. The first of them (published in 1970) involved 702 men aged 21 to 31 years, and average length The erect penis length of the subjects was 12.70 cm. In another study (from 1998), scientists with rulers at the ready studied 150 Koreans, and the average length of the penis this time was 13.42 cm. But the third study (published in 1999) with the participation of 279 Korean men showed that the average length of the penis in the homeland of LG and Hyundai is 12.66 cm. So guess: either the rulers dry out over time, or something else.
• But men with the largest average penis size can be found in Democratic Republic Congo (18 cm in “combat position”).
• Exists " folk sign"what than larger size legs, the larger a man's penis. But no. Researchers found no statistically significant correlation between penis size and the size of other body parts. One study by Siminoski and Bain (1988) found a weak correlation between penile size and nasal size and height; however, it was too small to be used as a practical estimate.
• But a connection between anomalies of the genitals and human limbs may exist. The development of the penis in the embryo is controlled in part by the same genes that control the development of the limbs. Mutations of some genes that control the growth of limbs also cause deviations in the development of genitalia.

Men may well underestimate the size of their penis compared to others. Surveys of sexologists show that many men who thought their penis was too small actually had average-sized penises. And marketers long ago learned to play on the fears of the stronger half of humanity, offering creams, ointments, potency products and other “one hundred percent reliable” means for penis enlargement. This is despite the fact that there is no consensus in the scientific community on a non-surgical method that can permanently increase either the thickness or length of the phallus.

Owner of the smallest penis in the world

Miami resident Mike Carson was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the smallest male penis. According to Carson and his doctors, his fully functioning penis measures just 0.15 centimeters. For comparison: the length (not erect) is 48 centimeters.

Carson said that in his youth he was teased by his peers, and most of his classmates believed that he was actually a girl.

“For a long time I felt so bad (about the bullying) that I thought I was really a girl. The guys laughed at me and told me that it was my clitoris that was so big.”, Carson said.

However, now the American is even proud of his reputation as the owner of the smallest penis, and has no desire to undergo surgery to enlarge the phallus. Mike assures that since he gained fame, the ladies have not given him a pass, wanting to give his “baby” a test drive. This is where the adage that size doesn't matter has definitely gone wrong.

Carson's closest competitor is Pole Lee Przyzbylovich. His erect penis is only 4 cm long. If you look at the photograph of this man's genitals, it is difficult to believe that it belongs to an adult and not a child.

The smallest penises in animals

Reykjavik resident Sigurdur Hjartarson knows exactly which animal has the smallest penis. He didn’t have to study photos and video materials for this. After all, Hjartarson has all the exhibits at hand, one might say. In his museum of mammal penises.

This strange collection, which the Icelander has been collecting for about 15 years, contains the genitals of all animals living in the country, and many species from different parts of the Earth. In total, the phallological museum houses preserved penises of 95 species of mammals.

The largest exhibit is the penis of a blue whale, 170 centimeters long and weighing 70 kg. And this is not the whole thing, otherwise it would be 12 meters long and weigh about a ton.

But the owner of the smallest penis among animals is a hamster. The length of its penis is only 2 mm, while the body varies in length from 5 to 34 cm.To examine such a tiny organ, you need to use a magnifying glass.

The museum also contains a human penis belonging to a fascist who died at the age of 95.

The world and science never stand still. Just recently, physics textbooks confidently wrote that the electron is the smallest particle. Then mesons became the smallest particles, then bosons. And now science has discovered a new the smallest particle in the universe- Planck black hole. True, it is still open only in theory. This particle is classified as a black hole because its gravitational radius is greater than or equal to length waves. Of all the existing black holes, Planck's is the smallest.

Too much little time the life of these particles cannot make their practical detection possible. At least on this moment. And they are formed, as is commonly believed, as a result of nuclear reactions. But it is not only the lifetime of Planck black holes that prevents their detection. Now, unfortunately, this is impossible from a technical point of view. In order to synthesize Planck black holes, an energy accelerator of more than a thousand electron volts is needed.

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Despite the hypothetical existence of this smallest particle in the Universe, its practical discovery in the future is quite possible. After all, not so long ago, the legendary Higgs boson could not be discovered either. It was for its discovery that an installation was created that only the laziest inhabitant on Earth has not heard of - the Large Hadron Collider. The scientists' confidence in the success of these studies helped achieve a sensational result. The Higgs boson is currently the smallest particle whose existence has been practically proven. Its discovery is very important for science; it allowed all particles to acquire mass. And if particles had no mass, the universe could not exist. Not a single substance could be formed in it.

Despite the practically proven existence of this particle, the Higgs boson, practical applications for it have not yet been invented. For now this is just theoretical knowledge. But in the future everything is possible. Not all discoveries in the field of physics immediately had practical application. Nobody knows what will happen in a hundred years. After all, as mentioned earlier, the world and science never stand still.