The train was moving with a constant velocity towards the next station. Just like other talks, there was some gap but this seemed like a different one. As if, it was a break between two seasons in a web series. Although we have only been on the train, for the time being, it looked as if in a world far away a year has passed. So much has happened in that world, maybe that world had some disease that engulfed every nation.
I thought it was a cool story, but I wish it never happens to anyone as the human mind sometimes cannot determine the gravity of the situation. So many lives would be affected, more than anyone would have imagined. But I thought of some other thing which was way cooler. There might be someone in that world who was thinking of our story. The story about me, Captain and the Universe! Maybe he was writing that story and some people might be seeing that story. I was thinking deeply about this and suddenly, the train halted!
There was a sudden spark seen along the rail lines where the wheels collided against them. I stopped myself but the Captain was about to fall from his seat and I reached out to hold his hand before he could fall. I saved him. “Phew, that was close!”, he exclaimed. I was relieved to save him but something felt a bit off as if I should do something. There was some conflict within me and I became very inquisitive about this. Captain somehow knew how I was feeling as he said, “What’s with that curious face, kid?”
“I do not know actually”, I replied.
“And what is it that you wish to know?”
And I realized that I ought to know something and for that, I must ask questions but I do not know what to ask and why was I feeling so curious? I finally identified the root of my conflict, my mind knows something is peculiar about the whole situation but it cannot identify the problem.
“May I help you with the situation, kid?”, Captain asked.
“There is something that I wish to know, but I cannot understand what it is?” said I.
“Ah, just as I thought!”
“Can you help me?”
“Only you can help yourself in this case, I can tell you the solution if you can find me the problem.”
I began to think hard, recollecting the entire thing. The train was moving, then I imagined a story, the train suddenly stopped and—
A sudden spark shook me from inside as I had the problem with the same thing and I exclaimed, “There was a spark!”
I saw a smile on Captain’s face as he said, “It seems you are going to discover all the forces by yourself.”
“So, are we going to explore the world again?”, I asked with unparalleled excitement and curiosity.
“By the name of Holy Maxwell, let us start our new adventure!”
“The seekers of truth are back!”, I exclaimed with joy.
Captain took a glass and poured some water into it. I was curious about what he was doing. “Let us put this object into the system”, said Captain as he put the cup in front of his desk.
“Did you mean our exquisite laboratory?” I asked.
“You’re smart”, said he.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to throw this cup of water at some random passenger.”
Captain laughed at my words, “Don’t worry, I am not going to do any dangerous experiments here.”
I left a sigh of relief.
He continued, “We are not doing any experiments right now”
“Then what are you doing?”, I asked.
“I just want you to look at this water.”
“The water?”, I asked again.
Captain continued, “Sometimes, you need to sit back and observe things.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Go deep and think what is this water made up of?” he advised me.
I thought about this for some time and I realised that all things are made up of particles. But there must be a reason he was asking me to do this. It must be related to the question I asked. Something struck inside my head, “Can that be the case?” I thought to myself.
“I think I know what you want to tell me.” I told him with confidence.
“And what is it?”, he asked.
“Does it happen due to particles?”
Captain gently put his hand on my head and said, “Well done, kid!”
I felt so amazing and excited at the same time. These are times when you feel like you are a physicist. At least this applies to a laykid like me. Captain used his powers again when he started to explain to me, “We have talked about friction previously, and this sudden halt created more force. We know by Newton’s laws that it takes more force to change the state of an object in lesser time. The frictional force between the rail track and the wheels was responsible for the spark.”
“Didn’t you say something about particles?” I asked him.
“Yes yes, what I said was the partial truth. Elementary particles produce electric charges. These particles are responsible for all the electricity in the Universe.”
“Wow, that’s something interesting.”
“And today you saved me by using this force?”
“You mean my muscles?”
“No, I mean the electromagnetic force.”
“What?!” I felt so confused and excited at the same time as this was something which I could have never imagined in my wildest dreams.
Captain continued, “I am going to tell you about two particles, a proton, and an electron. It was the electrons that transferred from the wheels to the rail track and that was the cause of spark.”
“Wait wait, this is going all over my head. Please slow this down.”I requested him.
“So you do not want to continue then?” this time he asked me.
“No, that’s not what I meant. On the contrary, I feel a sudden urge to discover the truth. But I want everything to settle in first.” I assured him.
“Well then, as you wish. Just tell me when you will be ready to continue and I shall be explaining them in a more fundamental way than before. So shall we delve into the world of electricity?”
“Aye aye, captain!”
