The Press. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1908. THE MILLS OF GOD.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, Page 8

The Press. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1908. THE MILLS OF GOD.

There is only one eternal thing in the material universe, and that is change. Till lately, however, the chemist thought that in the clash of worlds, and in the dance of molecules, one thing survived all change, and that was the atom. Thceo ultimate pieces of matter seemed, to him in the universal flux to escape the alteration. They alone of all things apparently passed through tho mills of God without being ground into a finer powder. Bat recent investigation has disproved this theory, and now the- tendency of the physicist is to believe that every atom disintegrates, and perhaps into particles too fine to be observed even by tho most delicate instruments science has at its command. In a recent article Professor Robert Kennedy Duncan, of the University of Kansas, collects together some of the evidejice that tends to chow that all matter is in a state of decay. Since about the rbeginning of the century, wo have known that tho radio-active elements are, to quote Professor Armstrong's phrase, possessed of "incurable suicidal monomania," but it is only recently that evidence has been brought forward which tends to show that all the elements axe transient, and are being ground away alowly— very slowly indeed—by the mills ~of (jod into simpler fortna of matter. Some of the phenomena observed in connection with the research are of the most astonishing character. Thus there are. five rare and inert gaees existing in minute quantities in the atmosphere —helium, argon, . neon, kryton, and nenon. It is impossible i under meet conditions available to make them combine with any ordinary substances. They seem to form a> more primitive series of elements than the others. Now, if the gas known as the radium emanation is permitted to decay in a closed vessel the final product of degradation is helium. If, however, it is placed in "water the result of its disintegration is neon. Now put in the water some blue vitriol (copper sulphate) and another gas of the above mentioned series is produced, viz., argon. The only conclusion that can be arrived at is that the quasielementary gas, radium emanation, decays, according to circumstances, into one of three more primitive elements. But a more astounding thing happons in connection with the water itself. Ramsay has shown that tho emanation decomposes the water. Now, as everyone knows in these days of technical schools, water consists of two volumes of the gas hydrogen in combination with ono volume of tho gas oxygon. However, under tho action of the radium emanation water yields 10 to 20 per cent, more hydrogen than it should do theoretically. The origin of this intrusive hydrogen is still a mystery. This denouement is ono of the most revolutionary in a series of revolutionary exporimente.

So far we havo seen that certain rare elemente can bo changed into certain other, also rare, elements but theso results, though of the highest scientific value, lie largely outeide of our ©Tory-day world. Now however a further result has to be stated, in which ono well-known element, apparently, gives birth to two others almost equally well known. "When the solution of copper sulphate, above referred to, is aoUxl upon by tlie radium emanation in addition to tho argon, there also appear in it minute quantities of sodium and lithium. It ia possible, though scarcely probable, that tho sodium is derived in porno way from the sodium silicato in tho glass of the containing vessel; but no other explanation can be given of the sudden appearance of the lithium than that it is nowborn, and derived from one or other of the substances present. The parent Inxly is probably, in this case, the well-known element, copper.

la the process of change of oi>o element to another there is generally emitted one or more forms of radiation. Of those, tho most common form is tho alpha rays. These are streams of positively ok-ctrifiod particles shot out from tlve substance at prodigious rates of speed of from 10,000 to 20,000 miles per second. Now, many of tho radio-active substances are only known indirectly, from the effects of the rays emitted by them. Now substanou themselves have too transient an existone©, or are obtainable only in too minute quantity to bo available for direct examination. It is, however, quitw conceivable that in the absence «f Kuvh forms of radiation many elements might be undergoing a process

of decay; but at a rate co slow as to defy measurement by the balance or other scientific instrument; and this is probably the case. Indeed, there » not a little evidence to show that all substances are radio-active; only at present we ere unable to find definite confirmation of the fact. Now the amount of energy given out by radio-actire materials ie stupendous; and, as was recently pointed out in these columns, more than sufficient to account for the heat of the earth's arust. Indeed, if any force were to accelerate slightly the radio-activity of tho globe, not only the rocks themselves, but the very elements of which they are composed, would melt in fervent heat. However, with one doubtful exception, we scarcely know of any method of altering tho rate of radio-activity of any substance; but in the conception of its possibility a new world is opened up for the imagination of the scientist, and for tho phantasmogoric dreams of such writers ac H. G. Wells or Jules Verne. In epite of the wonderful nineteenth century, science still has -wonders to unfold.