Could we ever build the tech to shrink ourselves?

When Alice from Alice successful Wonderland consumes a mysterious vessel labeled “drink me,” she rapidly shrinks to the floor. The Magic School Bus erstwhile got attacked by achromatic humor cells erstwhile it shrunk down to research a sick person’s bloodstream. And Ant-Man is celebrated for utilizing his shrinking exertion successful Marvel films and comic books. But volition humans ever beryllium capable to shrink down similar this successful existent life?  

Unfortunately, no. Physicists accidental that tech with the powerfulness to marque idiosyncratic bite-sized would interruption the laws of physics. (Sorry, Ant-Man.) 

Still, scientists person amusive pondering however a fictional shrinking instrumentality mightiness work. “It drives you to deliberation about: What does find the size of things?” says physicist James Kakalios. Finding the reply tin impact looking into the hearts of atoms and the powerfulness of the sun. 

Smushing atoms together 

One hypothetical mode to shrink thing would beryllium to trim the size of its atoms. Atoms are the gathering blocks of astir each substance successful the universe. Each atom is made up of electrons that situation an atomic nucleus.  

No magic potion would shrink a existent Alice. And adjacent if this were possible, determination would beryllium existent problems. For one, “you would explode,” says Salvatore Rappoccio. PHOTO 12/ARCHIVES DU 7E ART/ALAMY

An atom’s size depends connected respective cardinal constants, including the complaint of an electron. Those constants don’t change. Tweaking them would necessitate breaking the laws of physics, says Kakalios. He works astatine the University of Minnesota successful Minneapolis and wrote the publication The Physics of Superheroes.   

If shrinking atoms wouldn’t work, what astir shortening the abstraction betwixt them?  

Atoms travel unneurotic to physique each kinds of molecules. In the archetypal Ant-Man movie, Dr. Hank Pym explains that helium made his celebrated Pym Particles by learning however to trim the region betwixt molecules. This, helium claims, is what gives Ant-Man’s suit the powerfulness to declaration down to the size of an ant — oregon adjacent smaller.  

Atoms and molecules successful the quality body, though, are already packed intimately together. Trying to get them adjacent person would beryllium challenging.  

You could effort to unit the atoms together. But Kakalios says that adjacent a tiny simplification successful size would necessitate immense amounts of pressure. That would beryllium atrocious quality for immoderate idiosyncratic who tried it connected themselves. “The method word is ‘gross,’” Kakalios says. “It would conscionable smush you, and you don’t privation to bash that.”  

Explosions and achromatic holes 

Atoms bash get pushed unneurotic successful our star system, notes Salvatore Rappoccio. He’s a physicist astatine the University astatine Buffalo successful New York. To spot this successful action, conscionable look to our sun. Like each stars, it is powered by fusion. That’s erstwhile atomic nuclei are brought unneurotic nether immense unit until they signifier a caller atom.  

Fusion releases capable vigor to marque our prima shine. Scientists are trying to re-create this process connected Earth to make power. But it wouldn&rsquo...