BECQUEREL, Reflexions sur une théorie moderne, 1907

Original Manuscript by Henri Becquerel.

An interesting manuscript in which the discoverer of radioactivity ponders the nature of matter at the end of his life.
This manuscript, with corrections for printing, was published at the Institut de France after a reading at the session of October 25, 1907.

One of Henri Becquerel’s final works, this manuscript reflects on the revolutionary discoveries that had upended the traditional understanding of matter: the electron (discovered by Thomson in 1897), radioactivity (discovered by Becquerel himself in 1896), and radioactive decay (discovered by Rutherford in 1902).

The long-held notion of the atom as an indivisible, stable particle, as proposed by Democritus, was challenged by these groundbreaking findings. Becquerel pondered this new reality, suggesting that atoms, rather than being eternally stable, might undergo modifications over time. However, the slow pace of these transformations or the rarity of conducive conditions could create the illusion of stability.

The 15 pages offprint will be joined (covers detached).