The year is 1919, and the greatest minds of academia have unraveled the very secret of matter! In a triumph of logic, the arrangement of particles of matter — atoms — has been explained. These tiny particulates, through some force of adhesion, manage to compose the complex shapes and structures present in all the flora, fauna and inanimate objects known to man.
A scholar by the name of Gilbert N. Lewis has proposed an explanation for this unknown force in his paper, “The Atom and the Molecule.” The theory explains perfectly the forces of magnetism, chemical reactions and attraction between individual molecules.
His hypothesis proposes that atoms composing matter consist of cubes, with electrons held at the corners. The cube’s eight corners provide the only logical solution to the problem posed by the electron content of the atom’s outer shell.
The cubical model of the atom completely redefines the field of chemistry, which until now assumed that the atom’s composition was akin to plum pudding. The now defunct and utterly preposterous theory proposed by J.J. Thomson stated that the “the negatively charged electrons of an atom are found within a positively charged material, much like plums embedded in plum pudding.”
The new theory dispels any doubt about its functionality as it conforms fully the requirements of Abegg’s rule. This law of chemistry states that “the difference between the maximum positive and negative valence of an element is frequently eight.” It is only logical then that matter be composed from a shape that has eight points, and what else could that be if not a cube?
Much like bricks, which can be arranged to form complex shapes, even curves, so too can the fundamental elements of matter. Though the exact method of bonding is still unclear, it is apparent that two atoms in close proximity may bind to one another. Bonds can be created if two cubes share an edge, creating an attractive force between two pairs of atoms at the four corners that come into contact. By sharing a face with two other cubes, an atom can connect up to two others, allowing it to form the complex shapes in chemical molecules.
This glimpse into the mechanisms of the universe will yield countless innovations, allowing us greater control over the world that surrounds us. In the next few years it is not unthinkable that with this knowledge mankind may be able to create new, never before seen elements. Natural phenomena will have to be revisited and redefined, and books rewritten. It is a small price to pay for the opportunity to glimpse at the very essence of all things.
