Anaxagoras was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher born around 500 BCE in Clazomenae, Asia Minor. He is best known for introducing the concept of Nous, or "Mind," as a cosmic force that organizes the universe. Anaxagoras proposed that everything is made up of infinitely divisible particles, which he called "seeds," and that these seeds contain the essence of all things. Anaxagoras significantly influenced later philosophers, including Socrates and Aristotle. He was one of the first to explain natural phenomena without resorting to mythology, focusing instead on rational explanations. His ideas laid the groundwork for the development of scientific thought in ancient Greece.