In the subatomic world, nothing is simple. Take the proton, a fundamental particle found in the nucleus of every atom. For decades, students have been taught to picture the proton as a nice round ball, like a miniature planet. But no: The latest computer simulations show the particles can resemble peanuts, beehives, even bagels.
The three faces of a proton: sphere, peanut, and bagel. Graphics courtesy of Gerald Miller/University of Washington (3).
