PROBLEM OF THE UNIVERSE

Evening Star, Issue 16627, 9 January 1918, Page 6

PROBLEM OF THE UNIVERSE

IS OUR EARTH THE ONLY LIFESTJPPORITNG BODY? Mr Vincent Francis, in the 'Scientific American,' discusses in a very informative orticlo the questions of life in the universe on other worlds than our own. As the knowledge gained by astronomers of the solar system and of the luviverse at large increases, and as with advancing civilisation the thoughts of men become broader and reach higher levels, the tendencies point ve r y strongly *,o the answer that our earth is -me of matiy inhabited globes. After an examination of all the members of the solar system in his search for signs of life on them, Mr Francis finds that "out or the sun, seven major planets, -not counting the oarth, over 300 minor planets, 27 satehtes, and innumerable comets and meteors, there is.but one pla.net, Mars, upon which we can say that conditions a>e favorable for the support of life, and one planet, \ onus, upon which it is barely possible that life exists. "Taking an enormous jurat) into space to distances at which our whoic- Eotor svstem shrinks to a mere pin point, we find the socalled fixed stars. As these objects are at such enormous distances that they show no discs even when viewed through the largest telescopes, it is, of course, impossible for us to see any surface markings on them. We do know that they are intensely hot, varying m temperature from a little less than that of our sun to temperatures greatly exceeding that o£ our luminary. They therefore shine by the:r own light, and are, in fact suns not unbko our own, some being in earlier and some in later stages of evolution. This would definitely exclude any possibility of life existing upon any of them, the ea.me arguments applying to them that we have applied to the sun. It has been found, however, that certain stars—among the best known of which are f?irh]s, Procyon, Algol, and Polario—- are' attended by either dark companions or bodies but faintly luminous. The only reason that we -have been able to detect those bodies is because thev are very large, comparing in mass with their brighter companions. If somo of the many millions of stars in the universe are attended by large, dark companions, why should not these suns and many more be surrounded by planetary systems comparable with or greatly exceeding our own in dimensions and numbers, since the majority of the stars in. the universe are larger than our sun, and consequents could control greater systems ? It would bo 'impossible tor lis to detect the presence of planetary bodies wliich would compare with their primaries as, the planets of the solar svstem do with the sun, because they would" have a negbgible effect on their primaries in regard to gravitational force or eclipsing properties. If there are other planetary systems m the universe—and I do not doubt for a moment that there are thousands of them—why should not conditions exist in a great many of them, just as thev exist, here, under which life would flourish as it does here on our little earth?

But as men began to think of the possibility of life on other .worlds iu the universe, the question was raised: How is it possible for the germs of life to be transported from one body to another through the vast reaches of interstellar space? Of course, not knowing the nature of the germ of life, it is 'impossible to .answer this question. However, theorists have not been idle, and various, theories have been compounded! of them are given very wide credence but one which lias recently been advanced is as follows:—"Although, a* just, stated we know absolutely nothing about the germs of life, we do know one thing, and that is that they must be excessively minute. It has been demonstrated thai,'light exerts a measurable pressure, and that on very small particles m. a vacuum this pressure overcomes the force of gravity, and the particles aro home away on the wings rf so to speak. The tails of comets, which" always point, away from the sun, give us a striking example of this pressure of light. Now it is also known that a txxiy like "ovearth is slowly, but, gradually, losing its atmosphere as the molecules composing it attain sufficient spends, through collisions with other molecules, to get beyond the. control of the gravitational force exerted by oiir globe. Now, it is supposed that the lif» germs themselves, being comparable, possibly, in _ size with these molecules, may betreated in the fame way. and when ''thev reach the vacuum of interstellar space are propelled at enormous speed? by the pressure of the light of our sun away from it and us, and so are borne through space, coming i:rder the influence of the light prefigure of different, heavenly bodies, until thev come m contact with other planets of other suns. If any of thfee planets are at the riehfc periods of evolution to support life, the. germs will flourish there, and life will' commence or bo added to. This theory supposed that in this way life started on the earth. However, as it" seems rather fantastic, and there are so many insurmountable objections to it, scientists in general have not accepted it. That life must be transferred in some way from one body to another, if other life-supporting worlds exist, no one doubts, but the correct solutipn of the problem is yet to be found.

When one k out. of doors on a clear and moonless evening, and his gaze is attracted heavenward by the splendor of the wonderful work of the Creator, wliv should he be so narrow and self-centred as to feel that this gigantic universe was created, and is being carried on, just for the inhabitants or this world, an infinitely small and insignificant part of the -whole? And when he thinks of the possibilitv of life on thousands of planets surrounding many of the stars which he fees, which would be the logical awl broad-minded way of reasoning at this late date, i.s it any wonder that ho exclaims that this earth with life upon it, this solar system with its magnificent central luminary, this wonderful universe compared with which we shrink to a mere nothing, and which is probably full of life comparable with our own, must have been created for some purpose? But what is this purpose? Why arc we. here, and what is before us? This is the secret of the universe—a secret the meaning of which, alas. I am afraid no human being will ever be aWe to interpret."