Quantum bogodynamics
Quantum bogodynamics (QBD) is a humorous, fictional take on quantum physics. It describes the universe using imaginary particles called bogons, named for “bogus.” A bogon is a boson with integral spin and zero rest mass, similar to a photon but with much higher momentum. That extra momentum makes bogons especially disruptive to electronics and even nerves, and their great inertia makes them hard to deflect.
When a bogon meets its opposite particle, the cluon, they annihilate each other and release magic smoke. In this joke theory, the number of bogons is tied to a familiar unit: 1 Lenat equals a mole (6.022×10^23) of bogons.
The unit of bogosity is the microLenat, a playful jab at computer scientist Doug Lenat. Some say a microLenat is bogus because it’s only one millionth of a Lenat, while others have joked about renaming it after a student or as microReid. The term bogon comes from hacker culture, where it describes something bogus or a failure.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:47 (CET).