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Full Idea
Experiments show that the nuclear binding force does not follow the inverse square law, but is repulsive at the shortest distances, then attractive, then fades away rapidly as distance increases further.
Gist of Idea
The strong force is repulsive at short distances, strong at medium, and fades at long
Source
New Scientist writers (Why the Universe Exists [2017], 02)
Book Ref
New Scientist writers: 'Why the Universe Exists' [John Murray 2017], p.26
A Reaction
So how does it know when to be strong? Magnetism doesn't vary according to distance, and light obeys the inverse square law, because everything is decided at the output. - See 21151 for an explanation. It interacts after departure.
Related Idea
Idea 22151 The Open Question argument leads to anti-realism and the fact-value distinction [Boulter on Moore,GE]
| 17563 | The strong force pulls, but also pushes apart if nucleons get too close together [Inwagen] |
| 21148 | The strong force is repulsive at short distances, strong at medium, and fades at long [New Sci.] |
| 21151 | Gluons, the particles carrying the strong force, interact because of their colour charge [New Sci.] |
| 21152 | The strong force binds quarks tight, and the nucleus more weakly [New Sci.] |
| 21185 | Colour charge is positive or negative, and also has red, green or blue direction [Hesketh] |