我总是设想其他地方的极限生命能够运用比我们想象的更多的化学元素。

I've always assumed extraterrestrial life in exotic places USES an even broader array of exotic chemistry than we can imagine.

youdao

单原子的结构是个基本极限：若要做得更小，基本上就得操控原子核了，这可是把一种化学元素转换为另一种。

A structure the size of an atom represents a fundamental limit: to make anything smaller would require manipulating atomic nuclei—essentially, transmuting one chemical element into another.

youdao