What Are We Made of?”

Question

1Since antiquity, human beings have searched for an understanding of the nature of matter. What is it that all things, both living and non-living, are made of? Ancient thinkers developed theories in an attempt to explain the most basic material that makes up all things in the known universe. Ancient Greeks called this most basic material, or particle, an atom. Later scientific discoveries proved that even an atom can be broken down into smaller parts. Even today, with all the scientific wisdom people have attained throughout the centuries, scientists still conduct complicated experiments to learn more about what makes up an atom. In the process, they hope to learn how all matter is created.

The Discovery of the Atom
2Atomic theory began as an ancient philosophy dating back to at least the fifth and sixth centuries BCE in both Greece and India. In fact, the word atom is taken from the Greek word “atomos,” meaning indivisible. The term atom was used to define the basic particle that made up a chemical element. Chemists during the time of the ancient Greeks believed that atoms were the fundamental particles of matter. In other words, the atom was thought to be the smallest possible unit that matter could be broken down into. This basic philosophy proposed that a solid object could potentially be divided again and again, until it eventually reached the smallest indivisible unit—an atom. Followers of this ideology were called atomists. In the fifth century, a Greek philosopher named Leucippus and his pupil Democritus proposed that all matter was made up of atoms.

Theories from Around the World
3Around this time, a Hindu philosopher named Kanada developed his own elaborate theories on atoms. He claimed that atoms combined to create more complex objects: first in pairs, then in trios of pairs. Kanada even helped create schools of philosophy dedicated to the study of atomic theory. While the philosophies on atomic theory from both ancient civilizations had many similarities, the Indian philosophy on the subject differed from Greek philosophy in that it emphasized God’s role in the creation of matter.

Atoms in the Islamic Golden Age
4A few hundred years later, in the eleventh century, the Islamic world was experiencing its “Golden Age.” During this time, the Islamic world made great advances in science, medicine, and early technology. Many of the advances were further developments of theories and ideas taken from ancient Greek and Indian civilizations, including atomic theory. As the ancient Indian culture had done, the early Islamic world also tied religion to thoughts on the nature of matter. The ties to religion led to theological schools conducting research of their own on the subject. Al-Gazali, a notable theologian from the time, was one of the earliest ancient thinkers to propose the idea that there was the possibility of particles smaller than an atom.

Smaller than the Atom?
5It was not until the turn of the twentieth century that Al-Gazali and other ancient thinkers that followed him were finally proven correct. Experiments with electricity and radioactivity proved to physicists that the atom was made up of smaller subatomic particles. This proved that the atom was divisible. This also meant the atom was not the basic particle of matter, as the ancient Greeks and Indians had believed. Rather, the atom is a combination of various subatomic particles, mainly electrons, protons, and neutrons. Further expanding on their discovery, physicists of the early twentieth century also determined that in extreme cases, such as with a neutron star, the subatomic particles could even exist separately from each other. This offered further evidence that the atom is not the most fundamental particle of matter.

Atomic Theory Today
6Early twenty-first century technology has given today’s scientists the opportunity to conduct even more complex experiments with atoms. Scientists now use massive machines called particle accelerators, or “atom smashers.” Particle accelerators are capable of taking subatomic particles, such as an electron, and speeding them up to near the speed of light. Once the particle has reached the proper speed, it is sent on a collision course with another particle or atom. The impact breaks up the electron and reveals its inner parts, giving researchers a glimpse into what makes up the particle. Physicists hope that continued advances in technology and research will answer one of humankind’s most basic yet important questions: What are we all made of?
Question

Based on the prefix philo-, what does the word philosophy mean?
Responses

A against learningagainst learning

B a place of learninga place of learning

C devoted to learningdevoted to learning

D a person who learnsa person who learns

Answer 1

The prefix "philo-" comes from the Greek word "philos," meaning "loving" or "fond of." When combined with "sophy," which means "wisdom," the term "philosophy" translates to "the love of wisdom." Given this understanding, the best response to the question based on the prefix "philo-" is:

C devoted to learning