THE POWER OF THE ATOM.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17882, 1 October 1923, Page 13

THE POWER OF THE ATOM.

- » * SIR E. RUTHERFORD'S WORK. - LONDON, Septjomber 30 When interviewed, Sir Ernest Kutherford, the- world-famous New Zea--1 lander, who is CaVendish Professor of Experimental Physics and director of "the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, was diffident , about the joyful possibility that "the man in the street" bad learned to asso- | elate with the atom. ' ""There was some hope not long ago thai we might persuade the atom to do all otfr work," says the "Manchester Guardian." It has been found in rft'lifc activity that the energy wasted is sufficient, if it could be harnessed, 1 to destroy the world or even achieve I eternal peace. At least it might endole us to push a button instead of toil- , ing for a living. 'BSr Ernest is ddubtful whether we can ! tame the atom to that extent. Atom'si of the elements Urariium find Thorium I can. be depended upon to do 24 hours I a day without pay if properly coaxed, I but the rest hare reached a final state of equilibrium and arc not to be alavedrivCn. On the whole, it is not bad news! for if the atom did all we want .and believe it might, the human race would certainly develop atrophy. We would get such a triumph of matter i over, soirit as might frighten even I physicists.