Atomic Theory: Leucippus's Impact On The Modern World

Becoming a Greek philosopher I would never of thought that I was best known for my atomic theory of the universe, and leave a lasting impact on western civilization throughout my time. I was born in Abdera, Greece around the year 460 BC. My journeys led to far off places that include Egypt, where I learned geometry from the high priests, and also traveled throughout Persia and India. My literature extended over a period and produced over 65 works, including essays on mathematics, astronomy, music, physics, biology, ethics, and medicine. Though I did not originate the atomic theory, I learned it from its founder Leucippus. While his work too has disappeared, some of its contents may be obtained from Aristotle. He opposed the atomic theory, but in doing so he reviewed its main principles. I attributed to Leucippus's idea that the atoms are "Never ending in number and invisible because of the minuteness of their size. They move in empty space joining together and they produce detectable objects, which are destroyed when the atoms separate." The point at which Leucippus's gathering of the atomic theory stopped and my
contributions began, can no longer be identified. In ancient times the theory's major features were sometimes recognized to Leucippus and I both, and sometimes just to myself alone. Perhaps according to both of us and more often than not myself, the atom was of little amount of matter.
The concept of the infinite divisibility of matter was completely opposed by the atomic theory since within the center of the atom there could be no physical parts or empty space. Every atom was exactly like every other atom as a piece of corporeal stuff. But the atoms were also different in shape, and since their lines showed an infinite variety and could be set in any direction and arranged in any order, the atoms could enter into countless combinations. In their dense core there was no motion, while they themselves could move about in empty space. So for the atomic theory, the physical universe had two basic ingredients: The impassable atoms and passable space. As for I, space was unlimited in degree, and the atoms were infinite in
number. Since the atoms were not created at any time in the past and would never die at any time in the future, the total amount of matter in the universe remained the same. This basic belief of my atomic theory means the conservation of matter is the total amount of which in the universe neither increases or decreases. Though my commencement of the atom has been modified in several major pieces in modern times, such as John Dalton's way of changing my idea to a scientific theory and tested it by experiments. Today, the atom is now known as the smallest particle of an element that keeps the chemical properties of that element. Also, the parts of the atom are clearly described and understood. A lot has changed since my model of the atomic theory but still it remains the foundation of modern science. I always said, "time wasn‘t created." My atomic universe goes on forever and ever, without beginning and without end in either space or time. So the development of space did not serve any particular purpose, as a result, my atomic theory was opposing with the devout view, which observed the world of having been planned to fulfill some strange destiny. As I, the founder of the atomic theory declared in my only in existence statement, "Nothing occurs at random, but everything happens for a reason and by need."