For over two thousand years people have thought about the fundamental particles from which all matter is made, starting with the gradual development of atomic theory, followed by a deeper understanding of the quantized atom, leading to the recent theory of the Standard Model.
The four sections are arranged chronologically. You can use the index to find more information about a specific person or event.
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Earliest times – 1550 AD: The Ancients |
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1550 – 1900 AD: The Scientific Revolution and Classical Mechanics |
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1900 – 1964 AD: Quantum Theory |
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1964 – Present: The Modern View (the Standard Model) |