If elements decay randomly (even though they usually decay away in a predictable period of time) could something decay instantly?

Question

So, I was told that, while radioactive elements have half lives that have been estimated (i.e. the time it takes for a material to decay to half it’s mass), kt’s not entirely predictable how often particles will decay in a given moment. If all that is true (which it might not be, feel free to correct in replies), is there a chance, if microscopically small, that a uranium rod could just fizzle out of existence in a matter of nanoseconds?

In: 6

Answer 1

Yes, these kind of events are called “thermodynamic miracles.” Some of them are so unlikely that they literally might not end up happening in this universe despite how big it is and how long it will last. But any of them could be happening right now.