THE POWER OF THE ATOM

Evening Star, Issue 18394, 1 October 1923, Page 5

THE POWER OF THE ATOM

SIR E. IHJTHERWORD’S WORK,

LONDON, September 20,

When interviewed, Sir Ernest Rutherford, the world-famous New Zealander, 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” had learned to associate with the atom.

“ There was some hope not long ago that we might persuade the atom to do all our work,” says the ‘ Manchester Guardian.’ It has been found in radio activity that the energy wasted is sufficient, if it could be harnessed, to destroy the world or oven achieve eternal peace. At least it might enable us to push a button instead of toiling for a living.

Sir Ernest is doubtful whether w'e can tame the atom to that extent. Atoms of the elements uranium and thorium can be depended upon to do twenty-four hours,a day without pay it properly coaxed, but the rest have reached a final state of equilibrium, and are not to bo slave-driven. On the whole, it is not bad news, for if the atom did all we want and believed it might, the human race would certainly develop atrophy. "Wo would get such a triumph of matter over spirit as might frighten even physicists.