they thought that air was one of the four
elements.
Much later, physicists still thought
that the existence of atoms and molecules
was hypothetical and controversial.
Ideal gases
You can sometimes see a thing
even though you don’t believe it,
and, seeing it, understand its essence,
not as it actually is, transparent and invisible,
but like a glass clock, whose glass gears
turn incrementally to count the seconds.
However, such events are rare and magical.
They can’t be counted on and won’t be believed.
Only years later can we distinguish
the genius from the madman.
John Dalton proposed his atomic theory in 1808. Robert Brown
discovered Brownian motion in 1837. The controversy over the
existence of atoms was not settled until 1908 by Ludwig Boltzmann,
Albert Einstein, and Jean Baptiste Perrin.
The works of Bernoulli (1738) and Waterston (1843) were
ignored until James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott Joule, Rudolf
Clausius, and Ludwig Boltzmann established the kinetic theory of
gases by 1871.
John Dalton proposed his atomic theory in 1808. Robert Brown discovered Brownian motion in 1837. The controversy over the existence of atoms was not settled until 1908 by Ludwig Boltzmann, Albert Einstein, and Jean Baptiste Perrin.
The works of Bernoulli (1738) and Waterston (1843) were ignored until James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott Joule, Rudolf Clausius, and Ludwig Boltzmann established the kinetic theory of gases by 1871.
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