Excerpt
THE UNIVERSE IN AN ATOM
Many are called, but few are chosen.
- MATTHEW 22:14
In the year 1281, the second Mongol invasion of Japan began, and ended. The
invaders were defeated as much by the force of nature as by the Japanese
warriors, as the Mongol ships suffered grievous losses due to the
Kamikaze, or "divine wind". This routed the invaders and boosted
Japanese pride in their island's invincibility, much as the storms that helped
repel the Spanish Armada from British shores 307 years later—immortalized
in a commemorative medal with the words "God Blew, and they were"—helped
affirm the sense of Divine Right harbored by Mother England for centuries
thereafter.
Those Mongol ships that survived the crossing of the Sea of Japan may have
noticed the range of mountains that rise sharply from the water near the town of
Toyama. These are known by some as the Japanese Alps—a popular skiing
attraction today. Deep below these snowy peaks, where the sun never shines,
indeed has never shone, may lie the secret of our existence, forged from a fiery
wind, not necessarily divine, but more intense t ... read full excerpt from Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth and Beyond ebook
