The Science of Energy

Chapter COSMIC MIND

Our scientific understanding of matter and of how energy can change it owes much to the theories of ancient Greek thinkers. Anaxagoras (c.500–428 bce ) was one of the first people we know about who thought seriously about the nature of the Universe and the way it worked. He wanted to explain why matter behaves as it does, for example why it moves and changes in certain ways. He wasn’t satisfied with the explanation that was usually given at the time, which was that matter behaves as it does because it is in its nature to do so. Anaxagoras was looking for something—some sort of force —that would link the seemingly infinite variety of matter and all the changes and interactions that could possibly be produced in it. Whatever this link or guiding force was, Anaxagoras was certain of one thing. It must have no mythical character or have anything to do with gods. It had to be

absolutely logical and rational and be able to account for everything he saw in the Universe. Anaxagoras gave his force the name nous , which means “mind” or “reason.”He believed that the Universe came into being through the action of nous on an infinite number of “seeds.” The huge amount of energy released during a lightning flash can join together particles of different chemicals in the air to produce new ones. This is rather like the idea of a cosmic force acting on “seeds,” proposed by the Greek scientist Anaxagoras.

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