Search This Blog

The Electron Rules Our World

The Electron Rules Our World

The electron was discovered over 100 years ago, in 1897 by JJ Thompson at the University of Cambridge. It was the first elementary particle to be discovered and it's still as elementary as ever. Elementary means no internal structure has been found - so far.

Moreover, it now rules our world. Without it there would be no electricity. That means no lights, no TV, no batteries, no computers, no Internet, no iPhones.. to name just a few. Who says elementary particles are abstract objects!

Who was JJ Thompson? He was born in Manchester. His mom came from a local textile family. His dad ran a bookstore. He changed the world forever. His list of students reads like a who's who of physics. He won a Nobel Prize and so did many of his students.

Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com