I believe that the universal and vital role that the electron plays in our lives and civilization is not recognized and appreciated enough.
This petition aims to change that, and in the process, help educate our youth and general public about the electron in particular, and science and technology in general.
It is the mainstay of our electronics technology, from light bulbs to computers. It is also the particle whose dynamics controls all chemical reactions, and our biochemistry and genetics, from the firing of neurons to the information encoding in DNA.
A lot of things would not exist if it were not for the electron, one of the main constituents of the atom. It is critical for physics; it is critical for chemistry; it is critical for biology; and it is critical for our civilization. There is no other subatomic particle that is so singularly and pervasively beneficial to our existence and civilization.
So, I propound that we celebrate such a prominent entity—in an effort to raise awareness about the critical role it plays in our lives and civilization, and our vital dependence on this seemingly simple (fundamental) but truly versatile particle—by establishing a World Electron Day.
This would be a focused opportunity for our youth and general public to appreciate, and raise awareness about, the electron—and by extension—our technology and basic science.
I propose that that day be May 11 or 5-11, a reference to the invariant rest-mass energy of the electron in kilo-electron volts, namely 511 keV.
