Reality Revealed: The Ultimate Fabric of the Universe (New Scientist)

Cool video, and short . . . enjoy!

Reality revealed: The ultimate fabric of the universe

2 October 2012

MacGregor Campbell, consultant

Is there such a thing as reality?

It's easy to take reality for granted: after all, science does a reasonably good job at describing the world in an objective way. But what does science have to say about the concept of reality itself?

One approach would be to identify what is most fundamental in the universe. Using this reasoning, everything around us can be broken down into molecules, which in turn are composed of atoms, which in turn are made up of smaller and smaller components. So what would this process finally uncover? And is this mysterious precursor the ultimate basis of reality?

In this animation, we look at two ways of defining what is real and look at what lies at the heart of the universe. To find out more, read our full-length feature, "Reality: The definition", or check out the rest of our special issue on reality.

For other mind-bending animations, watch how to get something from nothing or find out what "nothing" really is.