MODERN PHYSICS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 24

MODERN PHYSICS

In his."New Pathways in Science" Sir Arthur Eddington says that he'is writing about the subjects that happen to have occupied his attention . during the last six years. Hence his "book is not a systematic introduction to modern physics. Nevertheless, very few of the most important questions in modern physics are left out. The subject-matter of the book falls naturally into three parts, although they are all more or less Connected with one- another: scientific philosophy small-scale phenomena, large-scale phenomena.

Besides discussing philosophical points Sir Arthur gives us a'good deal of information about important .< work m physics and astronomy. The scale of the phenomena ranges from the smallest, to the greatest; from subatomic phenomena to the theory of the expanding., universe. The most un-' usual of these chapters is' a brief and popular accpunt of an attempt, on which Sir Arthur has been engaged for the last five years, to .' establish a link between these two classes of phenomena. The chapter is certainly a stiff one,.and Sir-Arthur apologises for including it. But, although the lay reader will probably . only par. tially understand it, he will be sufficiently rewarded by the glimpse he will get of the fascinating adventure of, modern, scientific research. There are certain numbers which seem to lie at the basis of all physical phenomena in the sense that a universe like ours would nave to be based on these numbers. At present these numbers seem to be entirely independent; but Sir Arthur attempts to find a connection between them; He arrives at the conclusion that there is only one arbitrary number in the universe, and that that number gives the total number of particles that exist! It must be. remembered" that Sir Arthur is. by profession an astronomer. It. is 'natural, therefore, that astronomy should be among the subjects that have engaged his attention during the last six years. -Accordingly we have two chapters on astronomical questions in this book. Their philosophical implications are not so exciting as those of the other chapters, but the facts and theories dealt with are in themselves [of very great interest. .