NEW CTTEMICAL ELEMENTS — DUSHMAN 251 



"VVliether any such elements Avill be discovered of still liiglier atomic 

 number is problematical, since all the elements beyond uranium are 

 unstable — that is, they disintegrate rapidly. The main fact revealed 

 by the syntheses of the new chemical elements is that the atoms of 

 the different elements are not really the elemental particles of nature. 

 Rather, the atoms themselves are constituted of three still more 

 elementary particles, namely, electrons, pi'otons, and neutrons. We 

 know, in fact, that in the hottest stars, in which the temperature near 

 the center is about 100,000,000° C, some of the atoms themselves have 

 been decomposed into these three elementary particles. Of course, 

 other particles have been observed, but whether they are essentially 

 elementary remains to be discovered. 



This is certainly not the last word on the whole subject. However, 

 whatever the future may reveal, we believe that we have made one 

 more step forward in acquiring some knowledge of that great universe 

 about us, of which we can be only reverent observers and humble 

 interpreters. 



