CORRESPONDENCE. SCIENCE SIFTINGS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 November 1924, Page 16

CORRESPONDENCE.

SCIENCE SIFTINGS

(To. the Editor). Sir, —In tne« world of science one becomes somewiiac immune, from stioek at the announcement of discoveries on account of tiie bewildering rapidicy v ltn whicn sncii discoveries come. on the heels ct one another. -Nevertheless, there are always outstanding casco, t>.ie.= whicn seem to take the whole civilised world ioiward at one bound. The discoveries made’ by such men as Copernicus, iNewton, Faraday, Lord Kelvin, Einstein, Rutherford, Sodcly, ana many-moire can be classed in this category. Although the atomic theory oi the construction of matter exercised* the minds of Leucippus and Democritus over 2400 years ago, when the atom was then considered m much the same light as. we now consider the nucleus, it remained for cur present-day scientists to reveal to the world ti.-a.fc the atom in' reality is a minute soiai system with a nucleus surrounded b;> revolving electrons in much the same manner as the planets revolve around the sun. The breaking up of the atom was a startling discovery, because for centuries the atom was considered in the light of the true meaning of the term (.indivisible). The science. o: radio-activity deals with the transmutation of the various elements, of which all matter is composed, and classifies them in a table , according to weight and the uumber of outer electrons involving around the various nuclei." Thus the lightest atoms (the hydrogen atom, consists of one. outer electron revolving around its nucleus, and so t.Vces the atomic number (1). The uranium atom (the heaviest atom) with ninety-two outer electrons, takes the atomic number (92). These two elements form the ends of the chain of which all the other elements form the links, so t'o speak. There are five missing elements with numbers 43, 61, 75, So, -87 respectively. As the elements give oli their energy in radiation, transmutai tion takes place, with the obvious result that, becoming different elements, they alter their positions in the atomic table. In referring to this point, Proffessor Haas, of Leipzig University, says: “Up to the present it has not been possible to -trace the transformation series beyond lead, and although we know 1 that the stability of lead is of a very high order, it is conceivable that the series may not actually end at this element.” ’

We can from tlie foregoing get some idea of the intricate and almost impossible tasks which face the scientist, and a glimpse at some of the almost un--1 solvable problems which he tackles; and very often very poorly equipped and financially hampered. Yet these men aire the true leaders of civilisation, alongside of whom the statesman and politician fade into insignificance, because the mind truly set for the pursuit of truth will seek it in the study ol nature, and not in the chemerical realir of politics. Now, when .everyone thought tha'. the Liberal Party in Great Britain-, which since the elections must be we’ on in its atomic state towards the ultimate element (lead!, we receive the startling announcement that it’ ha: Deen divided ,and goodness only know: what it has become; m all probability an emanation lasting but a few days .a< most. As the lowest missing number i 43 it will b& impossible for Liberallsn to fill the gap as their number if nothing like as high as this. It may be that Prof. Haas has had his beliel confirmed that “it is conceivable that the series may not actually end in thir element Head).. In any”case it is r warning tc, political parties to give science a wide berth, and we can congratulate ourselves that we in Nev Zealand have no fiarties greatly in need of this warning, and think ourselve*' lucky that we Have rid ourselves of most of our nromising scientists, amour whom was Sir E. Rutherford. Thank ing you in anticipation, I am, etc., A NON-ENTITY.