WHAT IS IT?

Evening Star, Issue 19633, 12 August 1927, Page 2

WHAT IS IT?

STILL A POPULAR QUESTION CONFRONTED SCIENCE TWENTY YEARS AGO A very interesting article bristling with interrogation points was contributed by Professor A. E. Dolbcar to tbo ‘ Popular Science Monthly ’ over twenty years ago dealing with the science problems of the twentieth century. It discussed the live issues in each domain of science and intimates tbo scope and importance of the pressing problems in each. In regard to chemistry, Professor Dolbear remarks; “We say ‘chemical energy,’ but wo have no idea how it differs from heat or from gravitative energy.. It is a mystery. What form of motion or stress can ho thus embodied? in some way it is related to the ether. it seems as if hr some unique manner atoms drew from the ether as from a comijfcoo reservoir, each particular atom capable of holding .so much of that lygd and no more, like pint cups and, qnart cups, and this at once transformed into heat at the instant of combination. When combination of atoms such as water are decomposed they again absorb the Energy to separate them, and an atom therefore possesses more available energy than any combination of atoms. It seems as if atoms acted as transformers of ether energy into tbo ordinary and faigiliar forms, such as beat and electricity, and vice versa, transforming the 'latter into other energy. Whop. Avo learn this secret wo may lively enough bo able to artificially extract from the ether as much energy as we need for any purpose, lor, as I have said, it is inexhaustible, and every cubic inch of space has enough for all the needs of a man for many days. “This seems fairly probable, and when the source of atomic energy is discovered it will rank with the greatest scientific achievements of all tiro® Wo shall know more of the other, of tho structure of matter, ot the antecedents of most of the energy wo are familiar with, as this phenomenon underlies most if not all of tho phenomena in all tho sciences. It is yet regarded as a. mechanical paradox that a medium without . friction should have waves set up in it by molecular vibration, and little is known of tho physical relations existing between matter and ether by which electrical and magnetic phenomena are produced, and one may say that of tho nature of ether we know nothing. “ Think of tho amazing extent ot it. As limitless as space itself, with no break or separation of its parts, not made up of particles like matter, hut completely filling space, and so constituted that any movement of a particle of matter in some way affects tho whole body of it to tiie remotest part of the visible universe.” . Coming to the all-embracing mystery of electricity, Professor Dolbear said; “Hero on tho threshold of tho new century wg are confronted with tho question ‘What is electricity?’ and the answer implied by the question seems to demand a something which could he described by one who knew enough, as one would describe some new mineral or gas or thing. Some eminent scientific men are befogged by the question, .say it is some ultimate .unknowable, thing, and hopeless as an inquiry, . If it be a , something it must he described -by its [ constant properties as other things are. If it be unlike everything else, then it cannot he described by terms that apply to anything else. All material thing l have some common properties. “ A glowing coal is an incandescent solid, a. flame' is an incandescent gas, but neither glow nor fin me exists apart from the matter that exhibits thephenomena. Both arc conditions ol particular kinds of matter. It electric phenomena, arc different from grar dative or thermal or luminous phenomena, it does not follow .that electricity is miraculous or that it is a. substance. We know pretty thoroughly what to expect from it, for it is as quantitatively related to mechanical and thermal and luminous phenomena as they are. to each other; so if they are conditions of matter the presumption would bo strongly in favor of electricity being a condition or property ol matter, and the question ‘What is electricity?’ would then bo answered in a way by saying so, but such an answer would not be the answer apparently expected to the question. “To say it was a. property.ol mailer would bo not much more intelligible than to say the same of gravitation. At best it would add another property to the list of properties we already credit it with, as elasticity, attraction, and so on. In any case the nature of .electricity remains to bo discovered and stated in terms common.to other forms of phenomena, and it is to be Imped that long before this new century shall have been completed mankind will be, able to form as adequate an idea ol electricity as it now has of heat.” . Professor Dolbear intimated m bis article the belief that tbo field of investigation and research remained as largo and fruitful ns it had ever been, and ho was certainly right, as witness the discoveries of recent years.