James Clerk Maxwell, Letter to Professor Lewis Campbell (26 Sept 1874) in Lewis Campbell, William Garnett, The Life of James Clerk Maxwell (1882)
“
As for the atoms, they have been in far worse rows before they became naturalised in my brain, but they forget the days before, etc. At any rate the atoms are a very tough lot, and can stand a great deal of knocking about, and it is strange to find a number of them combining to form a man of feeling.
— James Clerk Maxwell on Atom
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "As for the atoms, they have been in far worse rows before they became naturalised in my brain, but they forget the days before, etc. At any rate the atoms are a very tough lot, and can stand a great deal of knocking about, and it is strange to find a number of them combining to form a man of feeling." in the context of "James Clerk Maxwell, Letter to Professor Lewis Campbell (26 Sept 1874) in Lewis Campbell, William Garnett, The Life of James Clerk Maxwell (1882)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Atom" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematical physicist, who formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as manifestations of the same phenomenon.
About James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematical physicist, who formulated the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism, and light as manifestations of the same phenomenon.
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