Ayiti Syantifik (Vol 1 – Article 1) INTRODUCTION
No, the title of this column is not entirely original. It was inspired by a scientific journal for the general public published by Springer Nature, called ‘Scientific American.’ It is a monthly magazine that I have greatly enjoyed in the past. I remember requesting it so persistently in a store that didn’t have it on its shelf that the management finally decided to offer it. (Perhaps it was just a happy coincidence).
What can you expect from Ayiti Syantifik? First and foremost, you should know that there is no real comparison between Scientific American and Ayiti Syantifik except that their names sound somewhat similar. Scientific American has been in circulation for nearly 200 years. It began in 1845 as a small four-page publication by an American inventor. Many renowned scientists such as Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla have published their articles in this magazine. Ayiti Syantifik is an online scientific column created by a science enthusiast whose primary goal is to stimulate young and old in the country to participate and contribute to the scientific world.
To begin with, I propose a topic for reflection… It will also serve as material to show how great inventions are sometimes simply the result of research by men and women who ask the questions that should have been asked by everyone. The question is as follows: You probably know that atoms are made up of protons, neutrons (in the center or nucleus), and electrons (on the periphery). You also know that protons are positively charged and are grouped very close to each other in the nucleus of the atom. Given that like charges repel each other, how is it possible that the positive charges (protons) remain grouped together? Why don’t they repel each other?
To illustrate the repulsive force between protons, experts often compare this force to that between two strong magnets when trying to join them by bringing their similar poles (North-North, South-South) close to each other. However, the force between two protons is much greater, about a hundred times greater. So, how can we explain that protons, although they repel each other with a tremendous force, are able to stay very close to each other?
There can be multiple answers to this question. Not all of them are correct, however. There is one in particular that opens a door to new knowledge that has transformed physics. I invite you to the next edition of Ayiti Syantifik. In the meantime, let me know what you think of the Ayiti Syantifik project in general and especially your answer to the question of the day: How do protons manage to stay together when like-charged particles should repel each other?
Jean Garry Cantave 7-11-2024 AYITI SYANTIFIK Ayitisyantifik@gmail.com