What would happen if the laws of physics suddenly stopped working?

Great Debates
1

While talking with my mother tonight, I brought up the recent news about the Exceptionally Simple Theory Of Everything. Now, keep in mind that, while my mother’s a reasonably intelligent lady, she is a fundamentalist Christian, and therefore has some rather wonky ideas about science. Anyway, the conversation went something like this:

KGS: Check this out. Some surfer dude came up with what might turn out to be the Theory of Everything. It hasn’t been proven yet, but if it’s true, it will be one of the most important mathematical discoveries of all time.
Mom: The theory of what?
KGS: Theory of Everything. Know what I’m talking about?
Mom: No.
KGS: Okay, there’s four basic forces. First there’s gravity, which is what this discovery is all about, how it relates to the other three forces. There’s electromagnetism, which covers everything from radio waves to X-rays to visible light. There’s the Strong Force, which is how atoms stick together, and the Weak Force which…
Mom: What was that last thing you said?
KGS: The Strong Force. It holds atoms together.
Mom: Oh, that’s God.
KGS: Huh?
Mom: That’s God. God holds atoms together.
KGS: What are you talking about?
Mom: I’ll explain. You know how electrons are negative and protons are positive, right? And protons are in the center of the atom, right?
KGS: Right.
Mom: Then how do protons stay together? Protons have a positive charge, and positive charges always repel each other, right? So how do these protons keep from flying apart?
KGS: Because of neutrons.
Mom: Neutrons? Oh…right, neutrons.
KGS: Exactly. Neutrons are what keep protons stuck together.
Mom: But if you have an atom with two protons and no neutrons, how do you explain that?
KGS: There’s no reason to explain it, because that doesn’t exist. You can never have an atom with more than one proton and no neutrons. It never happens.
Mom: Oh. So you’re saying these neutrons actually “neutralize” the protons?
KGS: Something like that. Actually, now that I think about it, I messed up. Protons & Neutrons are held together by electromagnetism. The Strong Force is what hold the particles themselves together. You see, protons & neutrons are made up of tiny things called quarks, which are esoteric particles that I don’t completely understand, but the important thing is that these quarks are held together by the Strong Force.
Mom: And that’s God.
KGS: Huh?
Mom: That’s God. God holds the universe together.
KGS: So you’re saying that the Strong Force IS God?
Mom: No, but it’s proof that God exists. God only holds the universe together because He wants to. And when the Tribulation comes, this “Force” you’re talking about will suddenly stop working, and it will be like nuclear bombs going off all over the world. Mountains exploding, oceans drying up, etc.
KGS [scratches head]: I think, if the Strong Force suddenly stopped working, the effect would be a little bigger than Hiroshima.
Mom: That’s my point. All these bizarre things will start happening, and scientists everywhere will be saying, “This shouldn’t be happening! We don’t understand! Maybe God really does–”

At that point her cell battery ran out, and when I called back, we moved on to other topics. Anyway, it got me to wondering:

(1) What WOULD happen if the Strong Force suddenly stopped working? How soon would everyone notice?

(2) Do the laws of physics allow for any scenario where one of the four basic forces suddenly vanishes, or changes its properties? Or are these forces assumed to be constant and eternal?

2

We’d be fucked, but it would undefine our universe and we wouldn’t notice. Next question?

3

I think it’s a safe bet that if the strong force suddenly gave, the universe would disintegrate into constituent particles in about 10[sup]-23[/sup] seconds, barely enough time for a “What th-?”

4

All matter would fly apart into subatomic particles. No one would notice because they’d die far too fast to do so.

In theory it’s possible. For example, we could be living in a false vacuum rather than a true vacuum, which under the right circumstances could collapse into a more stable false vacuum or a true vacuum. Various of the present immutable looking laws could then shift into a new form, erasing the universe we know in the process. Rather like how ice looks stable, until things warm up and it melts; in the process going from one set of rules of behavior to a new set.

5

I’m not a physicist, but if the Strong Force suddenly let loose, would it happen to all atoms at once, or would it occur at a point and spread out from there? I would think if it started at a point, it would be no faster then the speed of light. So if it happened at a point 2 trillion light years away, we’d be okay for some time.

6

I guess if it happened, you could say it starts in one place and propagates outward (though the method of “contagion” is unclear) or takes out the whole universe at once or only takes out left-handed people, or whatever floats your boat.

7

It might, or it might not. A change in the nature of spacetime isn’t necessarily restricted to lightspeed, unlike something travelling through it. Or at least that’s what my shaky understanding of such things tells me; I’m no physicist either.