MATTER AND LIFE FROM WITHIN 75 



case, the phenomena of radio-activity have made 

 it very probable that the heavier atoms such as 

 those of uranium and radium break up by expelling 

 helium atoms. These may or may not have been 

 in a state of chemical " combination " with them. In 

 these matters we must avoid using such a word 

 pedantically. It is enough that the helium atom 

 escapes somehow. . Now the atomic weight of helium 

 is 4. It most likely consists of four hydrogen atoms. 

 How can these be so combined ? 



If, as we have assumed, the positive atoms have 

 a charge equal to that of one or more electrons, 

 surely they will fly asunder ! But here we may 

 \vell have a converse case from that of neutral 

 atoms in contact. Positive atoms are heavier than 

 electrons. Their gravitational attraction is greater 

 in comparison with their charge. Therefore, al- 

 though electrons may be mutually repulsive to 

 such an enormous extent that they never come 

 into actual contact, this may not be so with 

 positive atoms. And if they do happen to touch, 

 it is possible that their adhesion may suffice to 

 overcome their mutual electric repulsion, just as 

 in a former case the gravitational attraction of 

 two neutral atoms with their attendant swarms of 

 electrons was balanced by the repulsion of the 

 or. 



Now it is easy to show that the simplest struct in ( 

 of perfect stability that can thus be built up out 



