74 WHAT IS LIFE 



stitution of matter: Whereas, formerly, the atoms 

 of the elements were thought to be ultimate and 

 indivisible units, the atom is now known to be a 

 dynamic system made up of electric units. Today 

 no physicist or up-to-date chemist believes in "the 

 eternity of matter." Moreover, the unity, the essen- 

 tial oneness, of matter and electricity is fully rec- 

 ognized and emphasized. 



The altered view of the constitution of matter is 

 still so new, and the change in concept so radical, 

 that some confusion in connection with the term 

 "matter" is, perhaps, not surprising. Thus some- 

 times a careless reasoner will argue that because the 

 atoms consist of electrons "there is no matter." But 

 obviously it is crude and meaningless to say "there 

 is no matter," since it is impossible even to write or 

 print the statement without making use of pencil 

 or ink and paper or some other similar mediums, 

 all of which are chemical substances. The term 

 ^' matter^' properly designates everything that can 

 be defined in terms of the chemical atom. Just because 

 the atom has been found to be resolvable into its 

 constituent units, and because, therefore, matter is 

 not now considered to be an eternal and unchanging 

 and primary condition, is then no valid reason for 

 denying the existence of matter. 



The facts of atomic physics, however, supply 



