ELECTRONS AND ATOMS 33 



energy properties that it is slowly breaking 

 down into entirely different elements, the pro- 

 cess being so slow that centuries of time are 

 required for any appreciable breakdown. At 

 the same time enormous quantities of energy 

 are set free. Here from a chemical element, 

 new chemical elements are being formed, and 

 from a chemical element, energy in immense 

 stores is being set free. 



The old doctrine has had to give place as 

 a result, and in its stead we now believe that 

 each chemical element represents a more or 

 less stable position in the charging of matter 

 with energy. * Those elements whicn are 

 called radio-active and are continually break- 

 ing-down as described above are unstable, 

 and break down spontaneously, while other 

 elements are so stably related to their energy 

 content that no means that we at present 

 know how to apply are capable of disrupting 

 them. 



If these things happen the view becomes 

 opened that by energy discharge the most 

 primal matter may possibly be thrown into 

 something which is not matter, in the usual 

 sense of the word, and lacks those criteria by 

 which we appreciate matter, and if this be 

 possible then by attaching energy to this 

 precursor of matter, it becomes possible to 



