physics

the nobel prize in physics was awarded to yoichiro nambu, makoto kobayashi and toshihide maskawa for discoveries concerning nature's broken symmetry. my understanding of physics trails off somewhere after newton, so this is all really beyond me, but since i've decided to blog about the nobel prizes, i figure i'll give it a-go.

broken symmetry refers to a symmetrical object which shifts in some way, thus losing its symmetry. this arch at fermilab demonstrates the principle.

apparently, as i now understand it, it is the broken symmetry of nature (what that means exactly is hard to wrap one's head around) that gives rise to the four fundamental forces of the universe (strong, weak, gravity, and electromagnetism) and the existence of different types of subatomic particles.
important stuff.