more on this theme | more from this thinker
Full Idea
Van Leeuwenhoek first stared at a drop of seemingly empty water with a microscope in 1676 and discovered in was teeming with life.
Gist of Idea
In 1676 it was discovered that water is teeming with life
Source
Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 04)
Book Ref
Krauss,Lawrence M.: 'A Universe from Nothing' [Simon and Schuster 2012], p.66
A Reaction
I am convinced that this had a huge influence on Leibniz's concept of monads. He immediately became convinced that it was some sort of life all the way down. He would be have been disappointed by the subsequent chemical reduction of life.
Related Idea
Idea 19422 Every particle of matter contains organic bodies [Leibniz]
| 21105 | In 1676 it was discovered that water is teeming with life [Krauss] |
| 21104 | General Relativity: the density of energy and matter determines curvature and gravity [Krauss] |
| 21107 | Uncertainty says that energy can be very high over very short time periods [Krauss] |
| 21106 | Most of the mass of a proton is the energy in virtual particles (rather than the quarks) [Krauss] |
| 21108 | The universe is precisely 13.72 billion years old [Krauss] |
| 21109 | Space itself can expand (and separate its contents) at faster than light speeds [Krauss] |
| 21110 | An understanding of the most basic physics should explain all of the subject's mysteries [Krauss] |
| 21111 | It seems likely that cosmic inflation is eternal, and this would make a multiverse inevitable [Krauss] |
| 21112 | Empty space contains a continual flux of brief virtual particles [Krauss] |