# Visualizing the layers of matter in a galaxy from the microscopic to the macroscopic **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363 "2009-03-30T22:08:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/1 "2009-03-30T22:08:24Z")
Let’s say I want to give a kid a 5-minute intro to the way matter is arranged in the known universe. Can you help me fill in the gaps in my understanding to make it a smoother progression? Not the details, just the terms. Here’s what I know (feel free correct and/or supplement me at any time): [ol] [li] Strings (???)[/li][li] Elementary particles (quarks, etc.)[/li][li] Subatomic particles (electrons, etc.)[/li][li] Atoms[/li][li] Elements[/li][li] Compounds[/li][li] A variety of dust and gases[/li][li] Interstellar clouds of concentrated dust, plasma, and gas that become:[/li][list=a] [li] Nebulae[/li][li] Stars[/li][li] Planets[/li][li] Space debris (there’s gotta be a better name for that) like asteroids, meteors, etc.[/li][/ol] [li] Solar/star systems[/li][li] Galaxies[/li][li] Universe[/li][li] Other/parallel universes, multiverses (???)[/li][/list] Are there any slick animations that let you “zoom out” from the micro to the macro? Is there a scientific term for this progression? ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/2 "2009-03-30T22:11:03Z")
There exists an IBM video from the 70’s or 80’s that illustrates exactly what you need. I’ll try to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/3 "2009-03-30T22:13:49Z")
Elements shouldn’t be a step, really. Some elements are bi-molecular in their natural state, but some aren’t. I think you’re looking for the word ‘molecules’, here. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/4 "2009-03-30T22:16:16Z")
It’s turtles all the way down. (all joking aside, that list looks good to me, but I’m nothing remotely resembling a scientist. Or even science-y) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/5 "2009-03-30T22:18:22Z")
> [@](#): > > There exists an IBM video from the 70’s or 80’s that illustrates exactly what you need. I’ll try to find it. [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/6 "2009-03-30T22:24:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). That’s it! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/7 "2009-03-30T22:42:53Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). Effin’ _amazing_. No fancy computer graphics, but very, very impressive for a 70s/80s film… and what did that have to do with IBM? Thank you _so_ much. Are there any modern-day remakes of this with more detail and updated scientific knowledge? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/8 "2009-03-30T23:16:35Z")
To answer my own question, there’s a 1996 video called [Cosmic Voyage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Voyage) (or [view it on Hulu](http://www.hulu.com/watch/23946/cosmic-voyage)) that does this same thing in a much longer, higher-def IMAX/BluRay format. It’s narrated by [God Himself](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3481245952/ch0026790). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/9 "2009-03-30T23:22:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). Saw this for the first time 5 years or so ago after it was mentioned on the Dope. Awesome video for anyone to see. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/10 "2009-03-30T23:40:52Z")
There’s an interactive website somewhere (that was posted on the Dope at one time) that is similar to the videos posted, but interactive. I’ll look for it. This isn’t it, but close: > **[Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics and You - Secret Worlds: The Universe...](https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/)** > > Start 10 million light-years from the Milky Way galaxy and wind up face to face with a proton in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/11 "2009-03-31T00:06:47Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > There’s an interactive website somewhere (that was posted on the Dope at one time) that is similar to the videos posted, but interactive. I’ll look for it. I was thinking of that same website - actually, I was thinking of it over the weekend and thought about starting a thread asking if anyone remembers the link. Weird. It seems like I remember it was hosted by a camera company. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/12 "2009-03-31T00:28:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). Yes, that video always amazes me. I wish someone would do a more up-to-date version. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/13 "2009-03-31T00:45:02Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I wish someone would do a more up-to-date version. 😕 What has changed? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/14 "2009-03-31T00:55:44Z")
It needs some CGI explosions, a cool tag line, and spurious boobs. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/15 "2009-03-31T01:16:08Z")
The Rose Center for Earth and Science at the American Museum of Natural History in New York has a similar display - [Scales of the Universe](http://www.amnh.org/rose/scales.html) And a whole web page of [Powers of Ten links](http://www.vendian.org/envelope/dir0/scales.html) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/16 "2009-03-31T01:30:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Powers of Ten](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY). Made by Charles and Ray Eames, quite the renaissance couple. They did a lot of design work with molded wood shapes (an Eames chair can be seen in the back of the living room on _Frasier_), modern architecture, a presentation for an American exhibition in Moscow in the 50’s, a pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, and a museum exhibit on mathematics (those last two for IBM). There are four copies of their Mathematica exhibit. The Pacific Science Center (in Seattle) had one when I was a kid, and there’s a copy at the Boston Museum of Science now, too. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/17 "2009-03-31T03:08:52Z")
Here’s a modern version. 🙂 [Height](http://xkcd.com/482/) [Depth](http://xkcd.com/485/) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/18 "2009-03-31T03:29:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > [ol] > [li] Strings (???)[/li][li] Elementary particles (quarks, etc.)[/li][li] Subatomic particles (electrons, etc.)[/li][li] Atoms[/li][li] Elements[/li][li] Compounds[/li][li] A variety of dust and gases[/li][li] Interstellar clouds of concentrated dust, plasma, and gas that become:[/li][list=a] > [li] Nebulae[/li][li] Stars[/li][li] Planets[/li][li] Space debris (there’s gotta be a better name for that) like asteroids, meteors, etc.[/li][/ol] > [li] Solar/star systems[/li][li] Galaxies[/li][li] Universe[/li][li] Other/parallel universes, multiverses (???)[/li][/list] Seems to me you ought to stick dark matter in there down around elementary particles or stars, and again between galaxies and Universe. [83% of the total mass of the universe](http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/media/080998/index.html) deserves some small mention nowadays. It’s not uniformly distributed within galaxies, nor within clusters of galaxies. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/19 "2009-03-31T04:45:01Z")
Perhaps someone linked to this already, but I don’t feel like clicking all the links in the thread: > **[Universcale| Learn & Enjoy Light | Nikon About Us](https://www.nikon.com/company/corporate/sp/universcale/)** > > Exhibits which let visitors compare the size of various things at a glance. From the micro world to the limits of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363/20 "2009-03-31T05:28:29Z")
I think 5 and 6 (elements and compounds) can be collapsed into “Molecules” Also… while nebulae are composed of very small molecules or clumps of dust and gas, I don’t really feel like I’d put them in that order. Nebulae are larger than our solar system, often by several orders of magnitude. Perhaps you could add a step for inter-molecular bonds and structures? That way, you can explain how compounds become cells, which in turn make something like wood and bone that seem so strong. I’d also leave 1 and 12 off, seeing as they’re pretty speculative, but that’s just my preference. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visualizing-the-layers-of-matter-in-a-galaxy-from-the-microscopic-to-the-macroscopic/491363.md?page=2)