Posted by EngineeringProfit > 4 hours ago | Report Abuse

The Enlightenment’s emphasis on scientific inquiry allows us to see beyond the limitations of our senses, uncovering truths that were inaccessible to medieval minds. This legacy continues to drive our exploration of the universe, pushing the boundaries of what we know and understand about reality.

Posted by EngineeringProfit > 4 hours ago | Report Abuse

The Enlightenment marked a significant shift from a perception-based understanding of reality, as seen in medieval thought, to a knowledge-based understanding rooted in reason and science. While medieval people accepted the world as solid and continuous based on their immediate perceptions, the Enlightenment revealed that this perception was an illusion—solid matter is, in fact, mostly empty space at the atomic level. The Enlightenment fostered a spirit of curiosity, encouraging people to question established beliefs and explore the natural world through new methods. The scientific method became a tool to uncover truths that were not immediately apparent to the senses, such as the emptiness within atoms. Enlightenment thinkers relied on science to explain the natural world, moving away from mystical and supernatural explanations. This approach led to discoveries that revealed the complexity and counterintuitive nature of reality, such as the fact that solid matter is mostly empty space. Knowledge during the Enlightenment was grounded in observation, experimentation, and logical reasoning. The realization that atoms are mostly empty space, despite the sensory perception of solidity.

Posted by EngineeringProfit > 4 hours ago | Report Abuse

Foundation in Reason and Observation

The Enlightenment, emerging in the 17th and 18th centuries, marked a shift towards understanding reality through reason, observation, and the scientific method. Thinkers like Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and René Descartes emphasized empirical evidence and logic over religious or superstitious explanations.
The discovery of atomic theory, the nature of light, and the laws of motion and gravitation began to reshape how humanity understood the universe, moving away from mystical or purely theological interpretations.

Posted by EngineeringProfit > 4 hours ago | Report Abuse

The nucleus occupies only about 1 trillionth of the atom's volume. The distance between the nucleus and the electrons is immense relative to their sizes, meaning that more than 99.9999999999% of the atom's volume is empty space.

Posted by EngineeringProfit > 4 hours ago | Report Abuse

The Perception of Solidity
Electromagnetic Forces

Despite being mostly empty space, atoms do not pass through each other easily. This is because of the electromagnetic force. Electrons in one atom repel electrons in another atom when they come close, creating the sensation of solidity. This repulsion is what gives matter its solid feel, even though the atoms themselves are mostly empty.

Pauli Exclusion Principle:

Another quantum mechanical principle, the Pauli exclusion principle, states that no two electrons can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. This principle contributes to the stability of matter, preventing atoms from collapsing into each other, and further enhances the perception of solidity.