Everyone in the world is made up of atoms. Atoms, if observed on an atomic level, contain a whole lot of…well…nothing. It follows that humans are made up for the most part (around 99%) of nothing. How’s that for an anatomical ego boost?

Ever heard the expression, “you’ve got the whole world in your hands?”

In fact, every human being on earth, all 7.6 billion of us (and counting), could fit into the palm of your hand. Literally.

All of us could be compressed (I know it sounds grim and would take some serious hydraulic power) into a solid cube with the equivalent size of a sugar cube – all because the atoms of which we are all composed are made up of 99% space and 1% matter. Roughly.

What we perceive as solid objects like desks, chairs, cars, even ourselves, is actually just a big conglomeration of tiny particles separated by what is practically infinite nothingness.

It all comes down to the composition of atoms. The fundamental building blocks of all matter – including us.

Anything that has a mass and occupies a given amount of volume is rudimentarily defined as matter. Everything around us is made up of matter made up of atoms. Atoms make up everything, but their internal components (nucleons and electrons) when measured relative to their size against the size of the atom as a whole also exist very far apart. There is much more empty space in an atom than there are particles that make up the structure of that atom.

Take away that empty space and extract the matter, and you’re not left with much.

Source:

Read full article on Interesting Engineering website.