jan 1, 428 - Plato (428-348 B.C.)

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Plato believed that there exists an immaterial Universe of `forms', perfect aspects of everyday things such as a table, bird, and ideas/emotions, joy, action, etc. Plato was so impressed with this discovery that he was convinced that atoms of matter must derive from these five fundamental solids. But at the time the Greek periodic table consisted only of earth, water, air and fire . Therefore, Plato postulated that a fifth atomic type must exist which Aristotle later called `ether'. The heavens, and objects in the heavens are composed of atoms of ether.

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