tion. t just tiny and sbut also often tantalizingly evanescent. Particles can come into being and be gone again in aslittle as 0.000000000000000000000001 second (10-24). Even t sluggisableparticles han 0.0000001 second (10-7).

    Some particles are almost ludicrously slippery. Every second ted by 10,000trillion trillion tiny, all but massless neutrinos (mostly s out by tually all of t t and everyt is on it,including you and me, as if it  to trap just a feists need tankso 12.5 million gallons of er (t is, er ive abundance ofdeuterium in it) in underground c be interferedypes of radiation.

    Very occasionally, a passing neutrino o one of tomic nuclei in terand produce a little puff of energy. Scientists count take us verysligo understanding tal properties of ted t neutrinos do  not a great deal—about one ten-milliont of an electron.

    it really takes to find particles ts of it. tionsininess of t and ties required to do tion for NuclearResearctle city. Straddling tzerland, it employste t is measured in square miles. CERN boasts astring of magnets t unnel oversixteen miles around.

    Breaking up atoms, as James trefil ed, is easy; you do it eacime you sc ligomic nuclei, e a lot of money and agenerous supply of electricity. Getting doo ticles t make upparticles—requires still more: trillions of volts of electricity and t of a small CentralAmerican nation. CERN’s neions in 2005,rillion volts of energy and cost sometoconstruct.

    1But t could  upon, t and noun