I’ve spent a considerable amount of time talking about the details of physics and its particles, but I haven’t really gotten into the whole point of researching all of this. Personally, my interest is due to how much I love science and gaining knowledge about the world, but it’s totally understandable that everyone else who reads this post may not have the same interests or outlook as me. So, I thought it would be appropriate to take some time to discuss some of the benefits that have been reaped from particle physics research. In the rest of physics there are obvious implications, but just as with other work new applications are abundant.

The Well-Known-ish Ones:

• WWW – (World Wide Web) This one is a bit of a misnomer. The World Wide Web was not created due to a discovery in particle physics or anything like that. It was actually created as an effort to create an international platform for collaboration between physicists all around the world.
• MRIs – (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) These magic machines that seem to know more about our bodies than we do work through something called superconducting wire. Superconducting wire is used primarily in superconducting magnets. The term superconducting just means that the medium is able to carry a charge with zero electrical resistance. This is super useful in applications where there is a need to carry a high amount of charge. The superconducting magnets are electromagnets that produce much higher magnetic fields than traditional and natural magnets. An MRI uses these by aligning the atoms in your body by their spin with the poles of the magnet and varying the field in certain areas to capture the energy changes due to spin changes as an image.

The Not-So-Well-Knownish Ones:

• Diagnosing – MRIs were just mentioned as a way a concept of particle physics is applied as a medical diagnostic method, but there is menagerie of other methods that involve the manipulation of atoms, protons, electrons, and smaller particles to reveal important information about the body. Other devices include PET scans, X-Rays, and CT Scans.
• Treating – LASIK Eye surgery? Yup, particle physics. Practically anything that has to do with the application of high-intensity lasers. Beyond the eyes, we use the ejection of protons, electrons, and other particles to deal with other afflictions such as cancer.
• Computing – Okay, I have to admit that this is probably one of my most favorite applications of particle physics. I think computers are just AWESOME. Like seriously, how in the world did we get smart enough to figure out how to make what I’m typing this up on right this second? It’s astounding, but I digress. You’ve probably heard of supercomputers. Basically like anything else with the – prefix, they just do their job really well. They can process faster, more efficiently, and can just do more. NASA and other big names use these to handle calculations and simulations that our average laptop just can’t handle. (Which is still saying something because even basic flip cell phones can handle more than the computers that were used to get us to the moon.) Particle physics opens up the realm of possibilities for quantum computing. This all works on the principle of quantum entanglement. Pairs or groups of particles interact in such a way that one cannot identify the state (the rotation of spin for example) of one without describing the other or others. Applications of this include manipulating a quality of one which simultaneously affects the other(s). As computers are just complex applications of “off” and “on”, two states, and the same can be said for these particles, they are an ideal option for computing. This is especially so due to how the changes are instantaneous. Computing on the quantum level would be something akin to asking a question and knowing the answer the moment the question is even formed. Me, you, everybody, as it happens:
• Industry & Security – These are probably the least well-known applications of particle physics. In industry, superconducting cables are ideal for power transmission. Turbulence, one of the most challenging concepts to deal with in any field from oil extraction and pipelines to weather models, can be tackled using instruments such as detectors and amplifiers developed for use in particle physics. Their ability to detect minuscule changes in fluid is immensely helpful in the pursuit of understanding turbulence in various circumstances. Additionally, the techniques used to examine particles and work with them are equally as helpful in the fields of bio-medicine, drug development, and microbiology. They help to provide insight into how the structure of proteins lead to their function (another topic I’m quite fond of) and even with the development of drugs. On the security front, super-cops. Joking, I swear. We use methods meant for detecting the particles from radioactive substances as a means of monitoring the nation’s nuclear reactor cores.

As you can see, there is such a wide spectrum of ways that particle physics can be applied and help further various efforts. Despite being so small, they really do make a large difference.