- Birth cries of atoms
Robert Millikan (1868–1953) pursued the theory of birth cries of atoms for many years, to explain the origin ofcosmic rays . According to the 'birth cry' theory, cosmic rays (now known to be fast-moving charged particles) werephoton s created by the generation of newatoms , and (in later modifications of the theory), the destruction of atoms as well. He investigated theenergy distribution of cosmic rays, trying to establish a correspondence between the most common energies of cosmic rays and the atomic energies of the most common elements in the universe. Millikan considered his 'birth cry' theory natural theological evidence of the continual intervention ofGod , whose creation of new atoms balanced the increase inentropy due to thesecond law of thermodynamics .The birth cry theory loosely shares the idea of continuous creation of matter with the
steady state theory There is presently observed another form of radiation which is technically a signal of the formation of the first atoms in the universe. The
cosmic microwave background radiation was recognized after its discovery in the1960 s to be the remnant of the decoupling of atoms fromphoton s which freely streamed after the surface of last scattering.
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