But, according to these definitions, the whole history of Alexandria might be to us, from one point of view, a physical school; for Alexandria, its society and its philosophy, were born, and grew, and fed, and reached their vigour, and had their old age, their death, even as a plant or an animal has; and after they were dead and dissolved, the atoms of them formed food for new creations, entered into new organisations, just as the atoms of a dead plant or animal might do. Was Alexandria then, from beginning to end, merely a natural and physical phenomenon?英文原著 · 《Alexandria and her Schools》
It was only through the atomic theory, at first apparently diametrically opposed to it, that the conception of evolution in the physical world was to gain an established place. For a century the atomic theory, when put into a modern form by Dalton, led farther and farther away from the idea of change in matter. The chemical elements seemed quite unalterable, and the atoms, of which each element in modern view is composed, bore to Clerk Maxwell, writing about 1870, "the stamp of manufactured articles" exactly similar in kind, unchanging, eternal.英文原著 · 《Darwin and Modern Science》
As soon as the transmutation theory of radio-activity was accepted, it became natural to speculate about the intimate structure of the radio- active atoms, and the mode in which they broke up with the liberation of some of their store of internal energy. How could we imagine an atomic structure which would persist unchanged for long periods of time, and yet eventually spontaneously explode, as here an atom and there an atom reached a condition of instability?英文原著 · 《Darwin and Modern Science》
Young as he was, this triumphant habit had already yielded him its due result that growth of character which arises silently within us, built up out of a myriad nameless elements--beginning at the very bottom of the ocean of unconsciousness; growing as from cell to cell, atom to atom--the mere dust of victorious experience--the hardening deposits of the ever-living, ever-working, ever-rising will; until at last, based on eternal quietude below and lifting its wreath of palms above the waves of life, it stands finished, indestructible, our inward rock of defence against every earthly storm.英文原著 · 《The Choir Invisible》
Another interesting consequence of Sir William Thomson's pregnant hypothesis is that the absolute hardness which has been attributed to material atoms from the time of Lucretius downward may be dispensed with. Somewhat in the same way that a loosely suspended chain becomes rigid with rapid rotation, the hardness and elasticity of the vortex-atom are explained as due to the swift rotary motion of a soft and yielding fluid. So that the vortex-atom is really indivisible, not by reason of its hardness or solidity, but by reason of the indestructibleness of its motion.英文原著 · 《The Unseen World and Other Essays》
He was dressed in white linen, without a coat, and had a white linen hat on his head. He stood near the house, apparently looking out to sea. And his pose was meditative. Hermione watched him. The sight of him reminded her of another question she wished to ask. Gaspare had one hand in the pocket of his white trousers. With the other he held the cigarette. Hermione saw the wreaths of pale smoke curling up and evaporating in the shining, twinkling air, which seemed full of joyous, dancing atoms.英文原著 · 《A Spirit in Prison》
♪ Six times ten to the eighth atoms of a radium in a lead jar ♪ ♪ Six times ten to the eighth atoms of radium ♪ ♪ If the half-life of radium should happen to pass ♪ ♪ Three times ten to the eighth atoms of a radium in a lead jar... ♪ Really hope you're almost to zero.美剧 · 《The Big Bang Theory》
If you multiply that by the atomic number of "N"-- Nitrogen-- You get 14, which is the atomic number of...?美剧 · 《The Big Bang Theory》
And up till 50 years ago, you all thought the atom was the smallest thing...美剧 · 《Friends》
...atomic element number 101, ends in "ium." - Dysprosium. - Ha, ha. Dysprosium.美剧 · 《Friends》