The Smallest Unit in the Universe

When one considers whether everything can be measured into continuously smaller units, it is difficult to determine whether it is actually possible or not. In order to answer that question, one would have to know the true nature of the universe and all its particles. Is there such a thing as the smallest unit in the universe or will that perceived smallest unit be able to be divided further into even smaller units? In my Philosophy of Science class we are currently examining the world of ancient Greek science. We just finished learning of Democritus and the Atomists. They believed the smallest unit to be the atom, which, according to its namesake, could not be divided further. We actually had a similar discussion in this class in which we asked whether it was possible to find the smallest unit. Ironically, we also examined the paradoxes of Zeno that we also discussed in this class. Some people decided it was possible to find a smallest unit, while others decided that it was not. Those who did believe in a smallest unit subscribed to a theory similar to that of the atomists.
Atom itself meant indivisible, which, if you ask any witness to the atomic attacks on Japan, is certainly not true. The atom is not the smallest unit of the universe; rather, it is made up of even smaller parts. I may not be a physicist or a chemist, but to my knowledge the current smallest unit uncovered is the quark. However, I believe that we will someday uncover even smaller units.
In the past, people had always believed that they had found the truth, the answer to everything that would not be able to be changed in the future because it was absolute. The actuality is that most theories change over time. What previous generations had believed to be true was often disproved, as with atomic theory. Different models have been presented throughout the years that were subsequently changed. The Bohr’s Model was found to be inaccurate and replaced by the present model of the atom, the quantum mechanics model.
Continuing this theme of changing theories, string theory goes even further when it comes to making smaller measurements. I do not know very much about string theory, but I do know it states that everything is made up of small strings that vibrate at certain frequencies to create everything. Could these strings be the smallest unit of measurement? Of course, if they are strings, they could then be measured even further. There would have to be units of measurement with which the length of the strings could be calculated, if that is even possible. String theory, however, probably changes the whole way we look at the universe, so measurement of string length may not be a possibility or an accurate way to describe the string. Only in the future will the questions we continue to ask be answered, and according to Professor Maleki, Heisenberg attempts to answer these questions.
We have finally begun to learn some of the basics of quantum theory, such as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Unfortunately, I do not quite understand the intricacies of the theory. That certain related variables affect each other such as position and speed as well as energy and time is quite confusing to me. I don’t quite see a connection between all those variables that would lead one’s accuracy to be affected by the other. However, I suppose that we can never know the true value of any variable. Unless the variable is eliminated, which I do not believe to be possible, the other variable cannot achieve perfect accuracy. There will always be the smallest amount of uncertainty present because even in its smallest proportion, the other variable still exists. As we read further into the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, and especially with this weekend’s readings, I am certain I will come to understand it far more.