Boyle (1627–1691) pointed out that our senses are limited, as shown by findings from telescopes and microscopes. He thought that analogy could be used to extend sense knowledge. Atoms or corpuscles could be understood as analogous to objects we can sense. In this sense, atoms have the same principles of action as objects that can be sensed. Boyle backed up his atomic theory with reports of his own experiments, which, based on the premise that atoms exist, confirmed his predictions about gases, solids, and heat.