
Do atoms ever touch each other? (2013) - excerionsforte
https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/04/16/do-atoms-ever-actually-touch-each-other/
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contravariant
> If "touching" is taken to mean that two atoms reside in the exact same
> location, then two atoms never touch at room temperature because of the
> Pauli exclusion principle. The Pauli exclusion principle is what keeps all
> the atoms in our body from collapsing into one point. Interestingly, at very
> low temperatures, certain atoms can be coaxed into the exact same location.
> The result is known as a Bose-Einstein condensate.

This is a bit of a weird explanation, since the Fermionic matter (where the
Pauli exclusion principle applies) and Bosonic matter (that can form Bose-
Einstein condensates) are polar opposites.

Sure the Pauli exclusion principle is at least partially responsible for
keeping electrons apart, but I'd be willing to wager that the electromagnetic
force is the main thing keeping matter apart in normal situations. This _can_
break down, for instance in neutron stars, but those situations are hardly
normal.

