Quantum particles exist and don’t exist.
Space is likely a moldable fabric.
Dark matter is invisible, yet it binds the entire universe.
And our universe, created from an explosion 13.8 billion years ago, is infinitely expanding into something.
Or, maybe nothing.
Unless you’re a trained physicist, at least one of those statements probably hurts your brain.
We experience a sort of cognitive dissonance when attempting to comprehend the vastness of such unimaginable, complex concepts.
But theoretical physicists think about, and even conjure, these ideas all day, every day.
How do they do it?
Turns out, each physicist’s brain organizes concepts within the field into two groups.
The researchers were just left to figure out how to label each group.
“The more you use these ideas, the more they become like old friends.”
The brain scans also support that assertion.
Not only did the team test faculty brain activity, they also looked at physics students' brains.
Velocity of the universe’s expansion, perhaps?
And the general public, over time, has adapted to inventions like iPhones and the cloud.
We can comprehendthe cloud, which is pretty bizarre.
“We have this understanding now,” explained Schumacher.
“The idea of sine waves is just a couple hundred years old,” Just said.
“But people have been looking at ripples on a pond forever.”
“I think it’s the most fascinating question in the world,” Just remarked.
“‘What is the essence of human brains?
How can we make them healthier; think better?”
