The video discusses the concept of neutron stars, which are the densest things that are not black holes, and the potential existence of strange matter, a substance so extreme that it could bend the rules of the universe. Neutron stars are formed when a massive star explodes in a supernova, collapsing under its own gravity and squeezing nuclei and particles together. This process merges electrons and protons into neutrons, creating a giant atomic nucleus the size of a city but holding the mass of our sun.
The extreme environment in the core of neutron stars changes the rules of nuclear physics, potentially leading to a dangerous and extremely strange substance. This substance, if it exists, could be the ideal state of matter, perfectly dense, stable, and indestructible. If this strange matter is infectious, it could convert every piece of matter it comes into contact with into strange matter, potentially leading to the destruction of everything it touches.
The video also discusses the possibility of strange matter being released when neutron stars collide with other neutron stars or black holes, creating droplets of strange matter known as strangelets. These strangelets are as dense as the core of a neutron star and could drift through the galaxy for millions or billions of years until they meet a star or planet. If a strangelet strikes Earth, it would immediately start converting it into strange matter, potentially leading to the destruction of the planet.
The video concludes by suggesting that understanding these strange objects today may be key to understanding the birth of our universe and why it grew to look the way it does now. It also encourages viewers to learn more about science through interactive problem-solving courses on the website brilliant.org.
1. Neutron stars are the densest things that are not black holes.
2. They are formed when a very massive star explodes in a supernova.
3. The star's core collapses under its own gravity, squeezing nuclei and particles together violently.
4. Electrons are pushed into protons, merging and turning into neutrons.
5. If gravity wins, they will become a black hole. If they win, they become a neutron star.
6. Neutron stars are like giant atomic nuclei the size of a city but holding the mass of our sun.
7. The environment in the core of neutron stars is so extreme that the rules of nuclear physics change.
8. This could lead to a strange and extremely dangerous substance.
9. Protons and neutrons, the particles making up the nuclei of atoms, are made up of smaller particles called quarks.
10. Quarks are confined and cannot be separated without using a lot of energy.
11. Quarks only exist together as the building blocks of other particles and have never been observed by themselves.
12. They come in many types but only two appear to make stable matter: the up and down quarks found in protons and neutrons.
13. All other quarks seem to decay away quickly but this may be different inside neutron stars.
14. The forces operating in their cores are so extreme that they are actually similar to the universe shortly after the big bang.
15. Neutron star cores are like fossils which can let us peer back in time to the beginning of everything.
16. Learning how quarks behave inside a neutron star is a way of understanding the very nature of the universe itself.
17. Inside a neutron star core, protons and neutrons deconfine, dissolve, and melt into a bath of quarks.
18. This results in quark matter, a star made from this is called a quark star.
19. If the pressure inside a quark star is great enough, it may get stranger, literally.
20. In the cause of neutron stars, some of the quarks may be converted into strange quarks.
21. Strange quarks have bizarre nuclear properties and are heavier and stronger.
22. If they turn up, they could create strange matter.
23. Strange matter might be the ideal state of matter perfectly dense, perfectly stable, and indestructible.
24. More stable than any other matter in the universe.
25. So stable that it can exist outside neutron stars.
26. If this is the case, we have a problem. It might be infectious.
27. Every piece of matter it touches might be so impressed by its stability that it would immediately turn into strange matter too.
28. Protons and neutrons would dissolve and become part of the quark bath which frees energy and creates more strange matter.
29. The only way to get rid of it would be to throw it into a black hole.
30. Neutron stars spew out tremendous amounts of their insides some of which could include little droplets of strange matter called strangelets.
31. Strangelets are as dense as the core of a neutron star.
32. They could be really small maybe even subatomic but even the largest strangelets wouldn't be any bigger than a rocket.
33. These strangelets would drift through the galaxy for millions or billions of years until they meet a star or planet by chance.
34. If one were to strike earth it would immediately start converting it into strange matter.
35. The more it converts, the more it would grow.
36. Ultimately, all of the atoms making up earth would be converted.
37. Earth would become a hot clump of strange matter the size of an asteroid.
38. If a strangelet strikes the sun, it would collapse into a strange star, eating through it like fire through a dry forest.
39. This would not change the sun's mass much but it would become way less bright.
40. So earth would freeze to death.
41. Like a tiny virus, we'd have no way to see a strangelet coming.
42. Some theories suggest strangelets are more than common, outnumbering all stars in the galaxy.
43. These strangelets could have formed very early after the big bang when it was as hot and dense as a neutron star core.
44. They might be clumping around the