Anaxagoras and the Atomists theory of the cosmos has always amazed me with their foresight. Anaxagoras believes that everything is made up of invisible "ingredients" and that all physical things we perceive are just different mixtures of these ingredients. What is incredible about this theory is that eventually it would be somewhat confirmed by scientists.
While it might seem to be a strange comparison the Atomists remind me of some of the science fiction writers from the mid 20th century. Similar to the Atomists, they create theory's or predictions that would be fulfilled by scientists many years later. For example, Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 makes predictions about future technology in 1953 that would be created for another 60 years. This includes things like flat screen tvs and Bluetooth technology. The comparison might seem random, but its all I could think about while reading the Atomists.
Yes. These thinkers seem right at home in our world.
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