If you had to describe subatomic particles to people in 500 AD, how would you?

Imagine if you will; that you took a time machine back to 500AD, and found yourself in the midst of a European settlement. You realize that you are unable to go back to your time period. So, you decide to make the best of it.

You begin to assimilate with the people around you. The locals know you to be a foreigner of some sorts, but none the less help take you in. Soon enough, you have friends, many of whom you love to share stories with. Most of them are convinced that you are indeed from the future, seeing as you have brought to the village many innovations and "miracles", which have earned them your ear.

One day, you come up on the subject of how things were made. Many ideas are passed along. Some say it was fire. Some say it all comes from the ground. All eyes turn to you... waiting for you to speak...

You want to explain to everyone about how there are subatomic particles that make up everything in existence. However, clearly you must simplify the concepts, as otherwise it would go above their heads. How would you portray, within their limited vocabulary, that everything is made up of smaller components?

How would you explain it? What anthologies could you use? What words would you substitute for "subatomic particles"?

Dust... or sand, perhaps?

How would you explain it? rimnet00

I wouldnt...

God created tiny dots that bounce around in random directions, and if you don't believe me, your soul will be forever damned to burn in a lake of fire.

Adding the 'God' twist will make them listen.

If you brought back technology then they'd call you a witch and kill you.

But for the sake of discussion, I'd tell them that theyre tiny particles that will explode if you try to find anything else. And yes, their inside you! Haha

It be Devilry and Witchcraft!

Mastering their language would be tough enough let alone explaining something like this.

Little things smaller than dust make up everything.carrot-cake

that was quick, even before I edited it in myself ;)

Dust... or sand, perhaps?

rimnet00

I think I see where this is going.

I would be stoned to death for defying the church. Why in the world would I try to define subatomic particle? Hell, even Newton probably wouldn't completely buy quantum physics.bman784

That's the ***** of it considering a monastery would be the most likely place to go to try to explain anything.

[QUOTE="carrot-cake"]Little things smaller than dust make up everything.rimnet00

that was quick, even before I edited it in myself ;)

[QUOTE="rimnet00"]

Dust... or sand, perhaps?

domatron23

I think I see where this is going.

/duck cover roll

The thing is, even if you described what they were and thought you should be killed, common fighting techniques in our society are seen as cowardly by them.

so lets assume some guy wants to fight you, if you move (which is an advantage) he wouldnt "get that"

Plus you could always draw some ninja inspiration and assassinate them in there sleep.

the point im making is that, early civilizations were dumb when it came to fighting even in warfare.

during the revolution, america simply used common sense for most tactics.

little things get together to make big thingscool_baller

That's almost the exact explanation I thought of as I clicked this thread. :lol:

[QUOTE="domatron23"][QUOTE="rimnet00"]

Dust... or sand, perhaps?

rimnet00

I think I see where this is going.

/duck cover roll

So is it just the Bible that says that man is made from dust or does the Quran word it like that as well?

[QUOTE="rimnet00"][QUOTE="domatron23"][QUOTE="rimnet00"]

Dust... or sand, perhaps?

domatron23

I think I see where this is going.

/duck cover roll

So is it just the Bible that says that man is made from dust or does the Quran word it like that as well?

I thought he was referring to glass and chemical bonds. lol

Dude, if you tried to explain it to them, they'd burn you for being a witch.

At any rate, I'd draw a diagram of an atom in the dirt & say "That's an atom. They make up everything, from the moon and the sun to the cows and even yourselves. There's different types depending on whether something is water, air, or solid, like a stone."

Pretty decent.

*reads OT*....Wait a minute....wait...wait...Oh!

If this is what i think this is then he is, in a very coy manner, essentially asking "If you were god, how would you explain to primitive man how the world was created" in an attempt to push forth the point "Obviously the bible/Quaran would be inaccurate in the sciences due to the necessity to oversimplify and use analogous and symbolic terms and phrases to describe it all". Smooth..

I can't seem to figure out if the TC/OP means, what are things made of, or, how did the world come about.

If they wanted to know how the world came to be, I would tell them that it was created by God, the days of creation, Christianity, etc, because thats what I believe. I'm sure theres copy of the book of Genesis somewhere.

If they wanted to know what matter was, I would tell them a little something from Stargate. The basics, that which is unseen but all is made of. I'm sure anyone with a half decent highschool education and a little creativity would be able to give a good example. The most basic substance is an element, EX, Iron, an atom at its smallest level, the atom can be broken into nutrons, electrons, and protons. The Protons and Nutrons are at the center and the electrons orbit the center, much like planets. If they understood it, I might go into the quark theroy... but thats just extra bloat.

Different elements combines whould made different substances and as you have more of it, you can eventually see it. Try telling them that a crystal is a solid molicule(sp)... hah

Positive and negative could also be addressed as male and female, as it was in Crimson Force, a decent Sci-fi movie about Mars. Crimson Tide is indeed worth watching, IMHO, if you happen to find it on Sci-fi channel.

The language barrier would probably be the most difficult thing to overcome.foxhound_fox

i would say everyting is made of the same thing.... the various concentration, mixtures in stuff defines what that individual thing is...

well something like that.

Democritus theorized the invisible, indivisible particle known as the atomos around 450 BC...Mr_Sesshomaru