The disintegration of unstable heavy atomic nuclei into lighter, more stable, atomic nuclei, accompanied in the process by the emission of ionizing radiation (alpha particles, beta particles or gamma [..]

The study of how life on Earth could have arisen from inanimate matter. It should not be confused with evolution (the study of how living things change over time), biogenesis (the process of lifeforms [..]

The lowest temperature possible, equivalent to -273.15°C (or 0° on the absolute Kelvin scale), at which point atoms cease to move altogether and molecular energy is minimal. The idea that it is imposs [..]

Click for a picture Accretion disk of a black hole (Source: Internet Encyclopedia of Science: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/E/event_horizon.html) Diffuse material orbiting around a central [..]

Click for a picture Alpha particle (Source: Medical Pages: http://www.irradiation.co.uk/types.php) A particle of 2 protons and 2 neutrons (essentially a helium nucleus) that is emitted by an unstable [..]

A measure of the momentum of a body in rotational motion about its centre of mass. Technically, the angular momentum of a body is equal to the mass of the body multiplied by the cross product of the p [..]

The idea that the fundamental constants of physics and chemistry are just right (or “fine-tuned”) to allow the universe and life as we know it to exist, and indeed that the universe is only as it is b [..]

Click for a picture Pair production and pair annihilation of hydrogen and antihydrogen particles (Source: Riken Research: http://www.rikenresearch.riken.jp/eng/frontline/5444) A large accumulation of [..]

Click for a picture Depiction of an atom of nitrogen (using the refined Bohr model) (Source: Jefferson Lab: http://education.jlab.org/qa/atom_model.html) The basic building block of all normal matter, [..]

Click for a picture Beta particle (Source: Medical Pages: http://www.irradiation.co.uk/types.php) High-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons (antielectrons) emitted by some types of radioactive de [..]