It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the complex composition of human beings at the atomic level. It suggests that by analyzing ourselves down to the smallest particles, we would discover a mound of lifeless atomic dust that once composed our physical selves. Despite their lack of vitality, these atoms were once part of our living body, highlighting the impermanent nature of life and the intricate interconnectedness of all matter in the universe.

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