Keith Mack
The laws of physics are what define the universe and what is possible or not. While it is not possible to break these laws, it is possible to bend them. For example, gravity defies quantum physics, and dark matter seems to violate known laws of physics. Our understanding of physics also breaks down when you go inside a black hole. There are also materials and inventions that seem to defy the laws of physics, such as gallium, a liquid metal at room temperature, and the EmDrive, a controversial space engine from NASA that generates thrust without using any fuel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can you defy the laws of physics? | No, by definition, nothing can defy the laws of physics. However, things can defy our understanding of those laws. |
| Examples of things that seem to defy the laws of physics | Bees flying, perpetual motion machines, Starlite, LIMBO spinning top, EmDrive, Uphill water fountain, Gallium, Smart bendable wood, Vantablack, Line-x, Supercooled rubidium, Hydrogels, Terminator polymer, Hydrophobic materials |
| Benefits of trying to defy the laws of physics | Learning something new about the universe, innovation |
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What You'll Learn
Perpetual motion machines
There are three types of perpetual motion machines. The first kind of machine violates the first law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of conservation of energy, which states that the total energy of a system is always constant. For example, a device suggested by 13th-century French architect Villard de Honnecourt relied on the assumption that weights would exert more downward force at the ends of extended arms than was required to raise them on the other side. While devices based on this principle could operate for long periods, they could not run indefinitely.
The second kind of perpetual motion machine attempts to violate the second law of thermodynamics, which states that some energy is always lost when converting heat into work. An example of a machine of this kind is the ammonia-filled "zeromotor" developed in the 1880s by John Gamgee in Washington, DC.
The third kind of perpetual motion machine is defined as one that eliminates friction and other dissipative forces, maintaining motion forever due to its mass inertia. However, it is impossible to completely eliminate dissipation in a mechanical system, no matter how close it gets to this ideal. For example, superconductive metals can achieve zero electrical resistance at low temperatures, but the energy required to maintain these temperatures exceeds the work that results from the superconductive flow.
Despite the impossibility of creating a true perpetual motion machine, many inventors continue to pursue this dream, attempting to break or circumvent the laws of thermodynamics.
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Dark matter
There are several theories about the composition of dark matter. One theory suggests that it is composed of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). WIMPs are elementary particles that interact via gravity and any other force that is as weak as or weaker than the weak nuclear force, but still non-vanishing in strength. Many WIMP candidates are expected to have been produced thermally in the early universe, similar to the particles of the Standard Model according to Big Bang cosmology. Another theory suggests that dark matter is composed of primordial black holes, which have the advantage of being based on a well-understood theory (General Relativity) and objects (black holes) that are already known to exist. However, producing primordial black holes requires exotic cosmic inflation or physics beyond the standard model of particle physics.
While dark matter is not currently well understood, it is believed that it does not need to violate any known laws of physics. The only known difference between dark matter and regular matter is that dark matter does not interact electromagnetically, or its electromagnetic interactions are too weak to be observed. It is also believed that dark matter interacts gravitationally and could have weak and strong nuclear interactions, as well as new interactions that regular matter doesn’t have.
The existence of dark matter has been a topic of debate, with some scientists challenging the dark matter hypothesis and proposing alternative explanations for galactic phenomena. One such alternative explanation is Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), which suggests that the rules of gravity are slightly altered at low accelerations, resulting in a stronger gravitational pull than predicted by a pure Newtonian understanding. MOND predicts that the internal motions of an object in the cosmos should depend not only on its own mass but also on the gravitational pull from all other masses in the universe, known as "the external field effect" (EFE). If confirmed, these findings would provide strong evidence for the existence of modified dynamics rather than the laws of Newton and general relativity in governing galactic behaviour.
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Black holes
The laws of physics are defined as what the universe is based on and operates according to. Black holes, therefore, do not defy the laws of physics. However, they do present extreme conditions that test the limits and accuracy of our mathematical models. For example, black holes eat up matter from the universe and turn it into simple radiation, but this process appears to reverse entropy, which shouldn't be possible. Another example is that mathematically, black holes result in a singularity with zero volume and finite mass, which means infinite density, and we generally don't think this kind of infinity occurs in the universe.
This means that our laws of physics are incomplete, and we need new laws of physics to fully understand black holes. In other words, our understanding of the laws is imperfect and flawed, so things can defy our understanding of physics, but not the laws themselves.
To summarise, black holes do not defy the laws of physics, but they do present extreme conditions that challenge our current understanding and mathematical models.
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Time's unidirectionality
The second law of thermodynamics states that in an isolated system, entropy, or disorder, increases over time. This is often used to explain the arrow of time, as the increase in entropy is not time-reversible. For example, a video of a ball being tossed up, slowing, and then falling would look equally realistic when played forwards or backwards. However, the process of the ball bouncing and coming to a stop would not seem realistic when played in reverse. This is because kinetic energy is lost and entropy increases as the ball bounces and stops, and these processes are not time-reversible.
Physicist Sean M. Carroll compares the asymmetry of time to the asymmetry of space. Physical laws are generally symmetric to the flipping of the time direction, but there is a clear distinction between "forward" and "backward" in time due to our relative proximity to the Big Bang. This proximity to a unique event in the history of the universe breaks the symmetry of time.
An increasing number of experiments at particle accelerators are confirming the violation of time reversal invariance (T), which signifies a fundamental asymmetry between the past and future. These experiments suggest that T violation has previously unknown, large-scale physical effects that may underlie the origin of the unidirectionality of time.
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Super-cooled rubidium
While it is not possible to circumvent the laws of physics, it is certainly possible to bend them. For example, gravity defies quantum physics, and dark matter is another phenomenon that violates the known laws of physics.
One such instance of bending the laws of physics involves super-cooled rubidium. Rubidium is a chemical element with the symbol Rb and atomic number 37. It is a soft, whitish-grey alkali metal with a density higher than water. Rubidium is similar to potassium and caesium, and its compounds have various chemical and electronic applications.
In a 2017 study, scientists cooled rubidium atoms to near absolute zero (minus 273.15 degrees Celsius) inside a tiny horizontal tube. At these extremely low temperatures, the atoms move very slowly, and their motion is correlated such that the material made of rubidium atoms behaves more like a wave than a particle. Essentially, the collection of super-cooled atoms behaves as a single particle.
The researchers then shined lasers at the tube, which changed the state of the atoms inside. Depending on the angle of the laser, the particles were pushed in one direction or the other. When the ends of the tube were opened, the laser light would normally push the cloud of atoms outward. However, in this case, the cloud of super-cooled atoms behaved as a superfluid with negative mass, accelerating in the opposite direction to which it was pushed. This phenomenon, known as Bose-Einstein condensate, has been observed before, but this was the first time it was demonstrated without ambiguity in a lab.
This discovery could provide insights into the behavior of ultracold neutron stars, which also act as superfluids.
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Frequently asked questions
By definition, nothing can defy the laws of physics. However, it is possible to bend them a little.
To bend the laws of physics, you need to be innovative and challenge common wisdom. This can be done by acquiring knowledge from a wide range of fields and connecting ideas from different areas.
Some examples of bending the laws of physics include:
- Uphill water fountain: James Dyson created a structure where water flowed upwards on an upward slope by using compressed air to pump water upwards.
- EmDrive: NASA developed a controversial space engine that generates thrust without using any fuel, which violates Newton's Third Law of Motion.
- LIMBO: A toy manufacturing company created a spinning top that appears to spin endlessly. However, it uses a special asymmetric flywheel motor, a high-end motion sensor, a rechargeable battery, and an advanced system-on-a-chip to constantly monitor and correct its stability.
Attempting to defy or bend the laws of physics can help us learn something new about the universe and lead to innovations and discoveries that were previously thought impossible.
