It takes an electron 150 attoseconds to circle the nucleus of an atom (source). How do you measure an attosecond? The comparison, at least to an average person, is astonishing: an attosecond to a second is like a second to the age of the universe. It is 10-18 of a second (10 divided by 1 followed by 18 zeros).
That is why we are so small in the universe. And so big. It depends on where we are placed. The entire lifetime of the earth is nothing compared to the age of the universe. One rotation of an electron seems nothing compared to our own age, forget about the earth’s age. But science has to think beyond our frontiers of consciousness.
For instance, the link mentioned above says the scientists have been able to photograph an electron. This means the camera captured the image of the electron during those 150 attoseconds. It means it did something in a time span of perhaps less than 1 attosecond. And some of us spend our lives thinking we are the big shots. At this instant I’m feeling so humbled by the age of the universe and the attosecond.
Whenever you have an ego problem, think of the universe, think of the attosecond. An image to give you a better perspective. See the entire gif animation.
