SCIENCE CONGRESS OPENS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1021, 10 January 1911, Page 5

SCIENCE CONGRESS OPENS.

4 INTERESTING ADDRESSES. GREAT GATHERING OF DELEGATES AT SYDNEY. AGE OF THE EARTH. By Telegraph—Press Association-Coßyriuht. Sydney, January 9. . Dr. Mawson, who has coine from South Australia to attend' the Science Congress, in discussing with a pressman the recent-ly-discovered radium deposit iu South Australia, said the lode was three miles long. It contained wonderfully rich radium ores, monazite, and sapphire, though the latter was not a gem quality. It was one of the biggest sapphire patches in tho world. There was no reason why radium salts should not be extracted here, instead of sending tho ores to Europe, and a company had already been formed for the purpose. The Sydney delegates to the Science Congress include Mr. T. S. Eeed, secretary to tho South Australian Geological Society. He is halo and hearty at the age of 92 years. Mr. Reed has lived under six monarchs, and was present at tho second meeting of the British Association lor the Advancement of Science held in 18-37. ■ (Bee. January 9, 9 p.m.) Sydney, January 9. Tho twelfth session of tho Australian Association . for tho Advancement ot Science was opened to-day at Sydney University under tho presidency of Professor 'Masson, of Melbourne. Over 500 delegates were present, and the gathering was thoroughly representative of the Commonwealth and New Zealand. After the formal proceedings the committees of the various sections got to work. The Western Pacific. Professor Marshall (New Zealand), as president of the geological section, delivered an address dealing with the western margin of the Pacific basin. His conclusions were that the real boundary of the South West Pacific passes through New Zealand, the Kcrmadec Islands, Tonga, Fiji, the New Hebrides, and the Solomon and Admiralty Islands; that a land connection or an approximation thereto tcok place in late Mesozoic or Pleistocene age, probably the latter; and that the Eastern Pacific Islands were of different structure and origin from the/ lands on this line, which were peopled by chance immigrants from them." The Congress awarded the '■ Mueller Memorial medal to Mr. Etheridge, curator of the Sydney Museum, in recognition of his services to science. Age of the Earth, Professor Laby (New Zealand) delivered tho presidential '.'address in tho mathematics, physics, and-' astronomy section. His subject was: "Eecent Advances in Physics." The professor paid a high tribute to Professor Bragg, and declared it was interesting to find that physicists trained in the Australian universities are advancing science in all parts, of. the world. He enumerated a list of those prominent in recent discoveries. Dealing with the antiquity of the earth as measured by Professor Strutt'sJ helium theory, Professor Laby said we may safely conclude that the antiquity of the earth is at least three million years without doing violence to the geologists' theories. ' . Tho second part of the paper dealt with Einstein's new principle of the relativity oi bodies. Music in Australia. Professor Sugden (Melbourne) read an interesting paper on the importance of qiusic as a means of education. Australia, he. said, would never become a musical country without a; general diffusion of -musical knowledge. Presidential Address.. There was a brilliant gathering in the evening to hear Professor Masson deliver j his' presidential address. Lor.d Chelmsford, Lieutenant-Governor of the State, presided. Professor Masson exhaustively reviewed the progress of chemical science, and made congratulatory references to the work of Australasian students, particularly .Professors ltutherford and Bragg. He warned the Australian universities against tendencies to devote their attention solely to utilitarian objects, ■>. . PARLIAMENT OF SCIENCE. The annual congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science was to open at the Sydney .University yesterday, and to remain in session throughout the week. This important meeting may be termed a parliament of science, as there will be assem- . bled over 500 members of the association, and delegates appointed by the various scientific societies throughout the Australian States and New Zealand. The business of the association in this Stnto (writes the "Sydney Morning Herald") has hitherto been conducted by a local council, consisting of representative scientific men, and also those engaged iu literary pursuits; but the affairs of the association will be controlled when congress meets by the General Council, whichis representative of all the .States and New Zealand. The reports of the research committees and all propositions involving grants of money v;iH be reported upon by a recommendation committee, consisting of .tho presidents of sections and tile usual. ex-officio members.

The work of tho congress will consist of the reading of addresses and papers, scientific and other lectures, and discussions. There will also bo special excursions. These latter will be an important feature, and the longer ones will be to Mount Ivoseivcl-x and other places of scientific interest.

There will be a number of social functions connccted with the congress,'including warden parties, to be given by his Excellency, Lord Chelmsford and the principal of the Women's College of the University of Sydney. "'ln my view," s<lld Ml'. J. H. Maiden, the permanent hon secretary, yesterday, "the principal utility oi the assDciaiion is in its social aspect, in that it brintrs men and women together from all parts of the Commonwealth find New Zealand, who have not seen each other for years, or possibly have never met at all, and matters of'scientific and other interest can be discussed not only at the meeting but in less formal circumstances."