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3.8
The quantum question: what are the smallest fundamental particles made of?
  
  While Quantum Mechanics has greatly enhanced our understanding of the behaviour of fundamental particles, the question remains- what are the fundamental particles made of?  
3.8.1 Theory (1) The Wave Model
  As we mentioned in the previous section, one of the most profound outworking of Quantum Mechanics was a concept called "Wave-Particle Duality" which describes the behaviour of very small particles of matter as both waves and particles.  
  In the late 1980's an American scientist called Edward Witten investigating the field of particle theory took this "wave-particle" behaviour of the smallest particles of matter and the work of Einstein in observing all matter basically being made up of the same thing- "energy" and created the "Super String" theory.  
  The Super String or wave model essentially states that the smallest particles of matter are essentially vibrations in space time fabric.  
  This theory has allowed numerous openings in mathematics and physics to look at the usage of energy and the relationships of different forces being made up of the same thing.  
  It has helped science move closer to a unified theory of matter, with this model sometimes being described as attempting to solve the "Universal field theory of everything."  
  Assuming we agree with the theory that all matter is ultimately made of energy, that it is in fact vibrating waves at different rates, then the sensible question to ask is what is space?  
  The answer that is sometimes given by science appears to be shockingly inadequate, almost a religious circular argument- space is nothing.  
  Nothing? How can nothing be something? It doesn't hold up. That is where this theory falls down. Waves of space can't be the ultimate building block of all matter and the universe, because space must be something, it can't be nothing if it's creates something.  
3.8.2 Theory (2) An Object Vibrating In Space
  A second theory is that all matter is ultimately made up of very small objects, or even one object vibrating in space.  
  The theory doesn't fit nicely into the wave and energy model that Einstein and others postulated and in many ways has been overtaken by the super string "wave model".  
  This theory in the eyes of some scientists largely falls down as the smallest object must be made of something. As we can't drill further down to understand what this basic object is, research into this theory has largely been redirected to proving the wave theory at some level.  
  Neither theory answer adequately what is the smallest building blocks of the Universe- yet our own common sense tells us that matter at its smallest level ultimately must be something.  
  The frustration at this point is that neither theory listed adequately explains -what are the smallest basic building blocks of the Universe made of? It leaves us to consider another train of thought that may produce answers- what are the characteristics of the smallest building blocks of matter?  
   
 
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