0:04

What if kittens beat the clock

0:06

HP and

0:09

What if unicorns were real?

0:13

What if you could fly or

0:15

travel back in time? We welcome

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you to What If World What

0:23

if world? This

0:25

is What if

0:27

world The

0:51

green-skinned twins who always seem to

0:53

win are adventuring with

0:55

Albert Einstein. Now for this

0:58

next part, you could take out your

1:00

periodic table if you're in a safe

1:02

place and you have one handy. I've

1:04

attached a link to a free one

1:06

in our show notes, but I've also

1:08

adapted the audio so it should be

1:10

really easy to follow along even if

1:12

you don't have your periodic table handy.

1:15

So let's get into the final

1:17

chapter of the second comic book

1:19

in the MC Detective Agency

1:22

series. Enjoy! One

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3:33

Chemical Solutions presents the

3:35

MC Detective Agents. File

3:38

two, the case of

3:40

the missing atomic one.

3:42

Chapter five, Clouds, not

3:45

Orbits. Written by Colleen

3:47

Kelly, PhD. Adapted and

3:49

produced by Eric O'Keeffe. Last

3:55

time on the MC Detective Agents, Bobby

3:57

and Ray were sent back in time.

4:00

by Granny Eve in the mysterious

4:02

and missing to the Sol-Day convention

4:04

of 1927. There

4:07

they met Albert Einstein. Among

4:09

a crowd of protestors, he told

4:12

them about Niels Bohr, who locked

4:14

away the quantum mechanical model of

4:16

the atom. The most advanced technologies

4:18

of today rely on that quantum

4:21

model, and Poppy and Ray will

4:23

have to understand the structure of

4:25

the atom in order to free

4:27

it. We join

4:29

our detectives in Brussels,

4:31

Belgium, 1927, amidst

4:34

protesters, scientists, and

4:36

of course, I see

4:38

Poppy holding her periodic table. If you've

4:40

got one handy, you can grab it,

4:42

or you can just listen along. Ray,

4:48

this is so exciting. Albert

4:50

Einstein is going to teach

4:53

us science, said Poppy,

4:55

hopping up and down. As long

4:57

as he can make it about

4:59

food like Thomas Edison did, said

5:02

Poppy's ever-hungry brother, Ray. Well,

5:04

to begin our lesson, we can

5:07

learn from the protestors' signs,

5:09

said Albert Einstein, gesturing to

5:11

the crowd. Signs,

5:14

but there's cotton candy

5:16

everywhere. Please ignore my

5:18

brother, Mr. Einstein. There were

5:20

a number of signs to take

5:22

in. They read, clouds, not orbits.

5:25

Free the electron cloud. And

5:28

quantum mechanics is the wave of

5:30

the future. A few

5:32

even had pictures of Neil's

5:34

boy's atomic model, crossed out

5:36

inside a big red circle

5:38

with this is wrong written

5:40

across it. Aw, Al, why

5:42

did the signs say wave of the

5:44

future? I mean, I can dig it.

5:47

Waves are definitely the future and

5:49

the past. Waves are

5:51

forever, and yet only for a moment.

5:55

Ah, that's beautiful, Ray. Confusing

5:57

but beautiful. The quantum mechanical model.

6:00

The model of the atom is based

6:02

on waves that Erwin called a

6:04

wave function, or simply psi. Oh

6:06

I got you. I sigh all

6:08

the time when I think about

6:10

waves. But who's Erwin? Another

6:13

pirate, a surfer, and Einstein's

6:15

four quirky scientist friends steps

6:17

out of the crowd again.

6:20

Lana? Erwin, Max, Louie,

6:22

meets Poppy and Ray. Huh,

6:25

not these guys again. You're

6:27

green! Are you radioactive?

6:30

I am Ray, but I am very

6:32

active. And I did get a D

6:35

in her Mac. He is radioactive! Let's

6:37

get out of here. No,

6:41

he just got a D because he ate all

6:43

of the ingredients and- They're gone. It

6:46

is obvious that you will not focus until

6:48

you have some cotton candy. For

6:50

me? Thanks Uncle

6:52

Al. Now look at the cloud

6:54

of cotton candy. And the cloud

6:56

on some of these signs. Hot

6:59

white whoops. Oh whoops. Huh.

7:02

Maybe you should buy me another one. For

7:05

science? Eh, fine. Poppy

7:07

jumped in, looking at the signs and the

7:10

cotton candy. So I see

7:12

other signs with something called

7:14

an electron cloud, and it

7:16

kinda looks like that fluffy

7:18

cotton candy with blue spots

7:21

scattered around. Spot on Poppy.

7:23

The electron cloud is like

7:25

cotton candy. The model is

7:27

based on something I discovered. The

7:30

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It means

7:32

we do not know the

7:35

exact location of an electron

7:37

at any given moment. Pirates

7:39

took him. Ugh, I knew it.

7:41

Albert pointed up at a street lamp.

7:44

It was starting to get dark outside.

7:46

And you could see many bugs flitting

7:48

about the light. Look at

7:50

these tiny bugs around the light.

7:53

Most of them are close to

7:55

it, but some fly away and

7:57

others even circle it. electrons

8:00

prefer to be closer to the

8:03

center of the atom called the

8:05

nucleus. So the nucleus is like

8:07

the straight lamp? Indeed. And

8:10

we cannot say an electron is

8:12

here in the atom, just as we

8:14

cannot say where a bug will be. This

8:17

is what is wrong with the

8:20

Bohr model. But dude, I see

8:22

that picture of that weird Bohr

8:24

model with all the symmetrical loops,

8:26

and still everywhere even in 2024.

8:29

Why atomic nachos even have it on the

8:32

label? Perhaps because it is

8:34

pretty, or because it is

8:36

easy to teach. Symbols

8:38

can stick in our heads sometimes, even

8:41

if they are wrong. Mr. Einstein?

8:43

said Poppy. You mentioned

8:46

an uncertainty principle? I'm

8:48

a little confused. I thought science

8:50

was supposed to be certain.

8:53

Oh, not at all. A true

8:55

scientist thrives in uncertainty. That

8:58

is the realm of discovery.

9:01

Sometimes we must even question what we

9:03

believe to be certain, as I did

9:06

with Bohr's model. So

9:09

we know an electron cloud

9:11

looks like cotton candy. And

9:13

not a bunch of symmetrical loops,

9:16

but you also mentioned electrons. And

9:18

a nucleus. Ah, yes. Let

9:21

us find some better light and

9:23

take a look at the periodic

9:25

table. Poppy and Ray followed Albert

9:27

inside the Metropole Hotel of Brussels,

9:30

the stately old brownstone where the

9:32

conference was being held. Now if

9:34

you listeners are set up somewhere

9:36

safe with your periodic table, you

9:38

can follow along. But if

9:40

not, just listen up. First

9:42

off, children, you must understand that

9:45

Neil's Bohr helped us learn

9:47

each element has a different

9:50

number of electrons, said

9:52

Albert, unfolding Poppy's periodic table

9:54

and the quiet but well-lit

9:57

lobby. So you can bet

9:59

that on Unlocking his safe. We'll take

10:01

some electron and know how. Oh,

10:03

well, I know how to eat

10:05

this electron cloud Am I

10:08

helping in a way Ray? Yes, but

10:10

in another way, give me the candy.

10:12

Oh Ah

10:15

You'll see here you have

10:17

eaten all but 18 of

10:19

the little blue dots floating

10:21

inside this cotton candy if

10:23

it has 18 electrons in

10:25

its electron cloud then its

10:27

atomic number is 18

10:30

oh, oh, oh popped in Poppy 18 I

10:32

know how to find that on the periodic table. You

10:35

mean you know how to count its argon

10:38

Well done, but what's the

10:40

atomic number 18 even mean

10:42

so much? Not

10:44

only is it the number of

10:46

electrons in its cloud It

10:48

is the number of protons inside

10:50

the nucleus Huh, but it

10:52

treasure the periodic table is Speaking

10:55

of treasure are we ready

10:57

to start our atomic model

10:59

heist almost Excuse

11:02

me narrator Are

11:05

you talking to me? Yes, I'm in the quick favor.

11:07

I don't know is this even possible. I introduced

11:09

theory of relativity I can

11:12

break the fourth wall. Yeah

11:14

sure. What can I do for you

11:16

Albert Einstein? I need you to make

11:18

a scale in this lobby a scale

11:20

that treats this cotton candy as

11:22

an atom of Argon

11:25

loop and there appeared an atomic

11:27

mass ammeter perfect for measuring cotton

11:29

candy atoms. Thank you Oh my

11:32

goodness Albert Einstein likes me now

11:34

ray Please put your cotton candy

11:36

on this atomic a mess o

11:38

meter to see how much it

11:40

weighs Why is it always

11:43

my food used in the lessons first

11:45

my banana split now my cotton candy?

11:47

It's because you're always eating ray. Oh

11:50

good point. Okay. I'll just put it down on the

11:52

scale here Okay, says

11:54

it weighs 40 Am

11:57

use atomic mass units.

12:00

Now. Pull off all those

12:02

a theme a little electron can.

12:04

Bees and see how much and

12:06

those way off I better get

12:08

to eat his after. Where.

12:11

I put eighteen candies on

12:13

the scale. Voted says of

12:15

ways you have because the

12:17

electrons haven't No V I

12:19

can see it was my

12:22

own eyes. Eighteen electrons? Zero

12:24

Wade never argue with a

12:26

data Now puppy Please reach

12:28

inside the electron cloud in

12:30

pull. Out the small piece of bubble.

12:33

damn. That the represents the

12:35

nucleus are called dibs on

12:37

the bubble gum. Five Male

12:39

put that on the atomic

12:41

Amazon at a lot. Now

12:43

it's as forty again Amber

12:45

Soul So all the mass

12:48

of the cotton candy from

12:50

Adam is in the nucleus.

12:52

The bottle go because the

12:54

electrons and electron cloud ways

12:56

zero. Bravo children Your granny

12:58

Eve was correct to name

13:00

you after Mcs discoveries. Hall.

13:03

Okay, okay, but what makes up

13:05

the weighed in the nucleus? The

13:07

protons and neutrons. each of which

13:10

has a weight of one a

13:12

m You dare. A secret bonus

13:14

proton candies inside the bubble gum.

13:17

Eight pm of them in fact

13:19

sell the rest. Of the

13:21

atomic mass is said neutrons.

13:23

Ah, one of the neutrons taste

13:26

like bread. Be neutral, I imagine.

13:28

So. The number of protons plus the number

13:30

of neutrons equals the weight of the nucleus

13:33

also called. The mass number? It's

13:35

It's rounding the Obama mess to

13:37

the nearest whole member. Ladonna know

13:39

how many neutral panties are in

13:41

this neutrons? Ray and we've set

13:43

everything we need to figure out

13:45

how many neutrons are gone? has.

13:47

And then I can eat it. Has

13:49

I'm afraid there isn't time for that. Not

13:52

unless you have a copy of the Mc

13:54

That Active Agent comic book ready and lot

13:56

to practice some atomic arithmetic. Or. Are

13:59

you talking to. The listeners Mr. Einstein

14:01

that's got under my job. All

14:03

eyes you spotted the too busy

14:05

describing the angry scientists chasing the

14:07

to green children through the lobby.

14:09

White Oh yea it's Niels Bohr,

14:11

a middle aged man with an

14:13

athletic build and thinning hair. He

14:15

wore a blue suit and a

14:17

fury as expression. Do not

14:20

listen Door by the mob

14:22

man. Outward times time I

14:24

will. The Jewels A proper

14:27

model of the Adam. Why?

14:30

Are grown ups always chasing us around

14:32

buildings? And in such impractical

14:34

shoes, air wearing flip flops

14:36

re actually there sir. Flop

14:39

hop in my latest invention

14:41

was added traction for taxi

14:43

surfing and lobby taste scenes

14:45

Gone back children and look

14:47

at the board model with

14:49

it's beautiful loop said per

14:51

they double electron ah it's

14:54

their way of the of

14:56

Utah. Off off. And

14:58

Niels Bohr running around the perfectly

15:00

smooth the floors of the hotel

15:03

in his slippery dress shoes, cel

15:05

flat on his face, all on

15:07

nails The Nails Ratings: Nils Liz

15:10

I'm you might not know this,

15:12

but were from a future and

15:14

the quantum model of the Atom

15:17

is used for all our future

15:19

technology. Yours is just on

15:21

my brother's potato shit bag and

15:23

some artwork on occasion, but it's

15:25

still inaccurate. Impossible. You will

15:27

never fully Albert's models. Worse

15:29

you would have to find

15:32

the mike Safe is. It in

15:34

your hotel room here at the Metropole. Bob.

15:37

know all oh and you dropped

15:39

your keys this of the number

15:42

forty stamped on it is that

15:44

your room of arab definitely not

15:46

then you wouldn't mind if we

15:48

borrowed these keys to check it

15:50

out dot i would mind is

15:52

very much so sorry nails are

15:55

never gonna catch awesome those shoes

15:57

dude you should have worn your

15:59

surfboard But you'll never

16:01

guess the combination to my safe!

16:04

Only a seasoned physicist could

16:06

decipher the clues! Well,

16:08

it sounds like you're giving us a clue right

16:10

now, thanks! Wha-wha-what? No!

16:14

Children, stop! Or at

16:16

least slow down a little. Niels

16:19

Bohr slipped and faltered as the

16:21

children ran to room 40 and tried

16:23

the key. It works! Practical

16:27

footwear for the win! They quickly entered

16:29

the room and locked themselves inside. Niels

16:31

Bohr caught up a half a second

16:33

later. But all he could do was

16:35

bang on the locked door from the

16:37

hallway. You'll never get

16:39

that quantum mechanical model out of

16:42

the safe! Why are you

16:44

so obsessed with your model, dude? I

16:46

think it looks pretty! Quit

16:48

fooling around, Rey! We've gotta unlock the

16:51

safe, but what's the combination? The

16:53

big metal safe in the hotel room was

16:55

hard to miss. There were

16:57

no discernible marks or clues on it

16:59

at all. Oh, uh, Poppy,

17:01

try 40! It's the room number! These

17:03

numbers only go up to 39! Ha

17:06

ha ha ha ha! My

17:09

riddle is too massive

17:12

for you to solve. Massive?

17:14

Like atomic mass units? Oh,

17:17

no, like something

17:19

else! Thanks for the

17:21

clue, Niels on Wheels! Okay, we learned

17:23

that Argon has 40 AMUs,

17:25

or atomic mass units. Right, and because it's

17:27

number 18, it has 18 electrons and 18

17:29

protons. We

17:33

never figured out the number of

17:35

neutral candies! Neutrons! And you never

17:38

will, foolish children! Ha ha ha

17:40

ha! So you

17:42

should just stop trying and unlock

17:44

the door, please. Okay, let's

17:47

focus. We'll need your help, too.

17:49

That means you, the listeners. Are you with

17:51

us? Each proton or

17:54

neutron inside the atom weighs

17:56

1 AMU, and the electrons weigh

17:58

zero, so 40 minus 8. 18

18:00

tells us the number of neutrons.

18:03

Yep, the mass number of argon

18:05

minus the number of protons. So

18:08

40 minus 18 is carry the one. 40

18:13

minus 18 is? Fours,

18:17

wanna help us out? No. It's

18:20

22 ray. Okay, so tricombo 18, 22,

18:22

18. It

18:27

worked. Impossible. Not

18:29

really, dude, you gave us so many

18:31

clothes. And a pink cloud of vapor,

18:34

scattered with fine blue dots, floated

18:36

out of the safe. Thank

18:38

you. Said

18:43

the cloud, before disappearing like a

18:45

puff of noble gas. Weird

18:48

quantum headache. Yeah, how'd Bohr

18:50

even capture that thing? Must

18:52

have been some safe. The

18:55

children opened the door of the hotel room

18:57

to see that Albert Einstein had

19:00

just caught up. You did

19:02

it, children. You saved the

19:04

quantum mechanical model of the

19:06

atom. We did it, Uncle

19:08

Al. Well, most of the layoffs. Yeah,

19:11

where were you? It's very difficult to

19:13

run through a hotel in these shoes.

19:16

Sounds like you need some surf-loops too.

19:18

Let me just measure those feet real

19:20

quick. Ha, ha. Allow to

19:22

be echoed from the wide hallway

19:24

where their time-traveling taxi had suddenly

19:27

appeared. No time, kiddos. I just

19:29

got my quantum time travel mojo

19:31

back, and you kids are late

19:34

for lunch. How can we be

19:36

late for anything you travel in time? Out

19:38

of my way, sis. See, Uncle

19:40

Al. Lighter electric nails. It's

19:42

electric drawn in the old. The

19:45

kids climbed into their time-traveling

19:47

taxi and waved at a

19:49

relieved-looking Albert Einstein in a

19:52

defeated-looking nail spore. Clouds

19:54

not orbit. Clouds not

19:56

orbit. Poppy chanted. Oh,

19:59

I'm too hungry. A

20:04

moment later, and almost a

20:07

hundred years later, Poppy and Ray

20:09

darted out of the taxi and

20:11

raced back into their house toward

20:13

Granny Eve and lunch. We

20:16

did it, Granny Eve! We saved the

20:18

future! And met a dude named

20:20

Al with awesome hair! Oh,

20:23

I wouldn't know anything about

20:25

all that, winked Granny Eve

20:28

cryptically. Of course you

20:30

do, Granny, we met Albert Einstein. You

20:32

sent us back in time to search

20:34

for him. What are you hiding? Crumb

20:36

Roulet for lunch, everyone! Woohoo! I

20:39

have to admit, I am rather hungry. Starving

20:42

and easily distracted, the kids

20:44

took off to the dining

20:46

room while Granny Eve made

20:48

her report to their old,

20:50

tiny radio. MC, they

20:52

did it. The quantum mechanical model

20:55

of the atom is free. Wonderful,

20:58

said MC, the voice

21:00

inside the radio, because

21:02

Clive and his evil

21:05

sidekick, Nat, are

21:07

planning to steal more

21:09

electrons. We are going

21:11

to need our best time travelers on

21:14

the job. Poppy and

21:16

Ray will be ready, MC,

21:18

and our agents at home,

21:20

too, said Granny Eve,

21:23

looking up at you. Very

21:25

well, agents. Rest up,

21:27

have some dessert for lunch, and

21:30

meet us back here when you

21:32

are ready for the case of

21:34

the pillaging pirates. Wait, did someone

21:37

say pirates? End transmission.

21:41

This concludes the MC Detective

21:44

Agency, file 2, the case of

21:46

the missing atomic model, Chapter 5,

21:49

Clouds, not Orbits. Dr.

21:51

Colleen Kelly has created this chemistry

21:54

comic book series. To help elementary

21:56

school students master concepts often taught

21:58

at the college. level. These

22:00

comic books are presented by

22:03

Kids Chemical Solutions and can

22:05

be found at kidschemicalsolutions.com.

22:10

Well detectives, I hope you all enjoyed

22:13

your story. And remember you can listen

22:15

to these episodes as often as you

22:17

like or get your own copy of

22:19

the comics which are packed full of

22:21

fun activities and stuff that I can't

22:23

even include in the audio episode because

22:25

it wouldn't make sense. Rate and review

22:28

us wherever you listen and check

22:30

us out at patreon.com/what if world

22:32

if you want to support the show. I'd

22:34

like to thank Karen O'Keefe, my

22:36

co-creator, my producer Miss Lynn, Dr.

22:39

Colleen Kelly for taking a chance

22:41

with a comic book into audio

22:43

drama adaptation. And all you scientists

22:45

at home who know that uncertainty

22:48

is the realm of discovery. So

22:50

until we meet again, keep wondering.