Would electrons "fall" out of their orbits, lacking any energy to "orbit"? Would all that empty space in an atom go away, as the atom sluggishly contracts upon itself?

Wouldn't they just be in their lowest energy states? They don't really orbit.

I have a question about the dangerous subject of punctuation.

Is this in the WIP, Gud? With dialogue, I'd use a question mark and then either use a dialogue tag to add the emphasis (like "he yelled,") or, since that's not actually one of my fave techniques, I tend to prefer adding emphasis to a word within the sentence with italics:

"What the frak is wrong with you?"

To me, that gives the impression of an exclaimed question. Generally, I think using both punctuation marks is frowned upon. But that's just me. YPMMV

Huh. I just discovered a fresh scar above my waist. It stung in the shower, like I'd recently been cut there. I have no idea how I got it.

I think I fought a ninja in my sleep.

"What the frak is wrong with you!"

I'd do it with just the exclamation point since the question is rhetorical and not meant to be answered. It's more like an interjection. That is, you say it with excitement (or emotion) rather than as a query.

Huh. I just discovered a fresh scar above my waist. It stung in the shower, like I'd recently been cut there. I have no idea how I got it.

My theory: an alien implant.

Have you had any "lost time" recently?

It's more like an interjection.

Annnnnd I just went into Schoolhouse Rock Land.

Is this in the WIP, Gud?

Indeed.

Generally, I think using both punctuation marks is frowned upon. But that's just me.

That's the impression I get.

I tend to prefer adding emphasis to a word within the sentence with italics:

Hmmm... That seems like it would work in most cases. I already do that in a lot of places, but for some reason I didn't think of it for exclaimed questions.

I'd do it with just the exclamation point since the question is rhetorical and not meant to be answered. It's more like an interjection. That is, you say it with excitement (or emotion) rather than as a query.

That's certainly true in that case. Sort of a bad example since the question is rhetorical. Maybe I should have gone with "Is it the blue wire or the red wire!"

Temperatures near absolute zero have been achieved with the techniques of laser cooling and magnetic evaporative cooling. In laser cooling, fast-moving atoms are jostled with photons until they slow down to 1/10,000th of a degree Kelvin.

You know, I come here to get AWAY from my job for a few minutes. Sheesh.

My theory: an alien implant.

Have you had any "lost time" recently?

I don't remember.

Maybe I should have gone with "Is it the blue wire or the red wire!"

Hm. I guess I would go with Barb's tag suggestion. Put the question mark in the quotation and the exclamation in the tag.

(Also, it's the red wire. Duh.)