Democritus was born in an ancient Greek town called Abdera and nicknamed “the laughing philosopher” due to his cheerful personality. A curious man, he sought to understand people and the world.

For this reason, Democritus was known as the "Laughing Philosopher," as a Rembrandt self-portrait (in the likeness of Democritus) reminds us. Sponsor Message This is the smile we attribute to ...

The word alludes to Democritus, "the laughing philosopher," who was a native of Abdera. He was among the first to develop the atomic theory of the universe.

THE Greek philosopher Democritus was not the first person to suggest matter is made of tiny particles. But he got the credit when scientists finally accepted the idea 2,000 years after his death. D… ...