1897: Electron - The book of science

Electron
Astonishing feats
Bonds
Commentary

Electron

The unit of electrical charge
is carried by particles accelerating around atoms
bound or flying quickly from their orbits.
J. J. Thomson realized that cathode rays
were streams of these corpuscles, he called them,
with the same electric charge
and the same mass
no matter what they were flying from.
Thomson thought that atoms were bundles
of thousands of these corpuscles
bound together like plums
in a positively charged pudding.

Astonishing feats

Sir Electron captures a photon
to free the world of stupidity and fear—well,
he does not successfully conquer stupidity or fear.
Sir Electron binds hydrogens to oxygens
to make a bucket of water,
which he drinks and uses to wash his hands.
Sir Electron powers lights and motors
to keep our factories and offices running.
They keep us running, too.
Sir Electron experiments with molecules
to make chemicals that affect our basic physiology.
Drug companies make millions.
Sir Electron gives us productivity devices,
but these don’t make us more productive.
We eagerly await version 11, the next sequel.

Bonds

Body chemistry
binds us together.
Binary units—
male and female.
Young romance
at our age.

In 1897 J.J. Thomson called electrons corpuscles, although the term electron had been introduced in 1894 by George Johnstone Stoney to explain the chemical properties of atoms and the electron had been theorized since 1838 by Richard Laming. The electron not only carries the unit of electrical charge but also causes chemical bonds and magnetic fields.