HOPE OF CONQUERING GRAVITATION SEEN IN NEW EINSTEIN THEORY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6849, 2 March 1929, Page 6

HOPE OF CONQUERING GRAVITATION SEEN IN NEW EINSTEIN THEORY

Possibility of Insulation to Annul Force of Attraction

New York, Jan. 25. The most- fascinating field of experiment that could be opened up to men lies behind Albert Einstein’s new theory that eleotricty and magnetism are related to gravitation, says Dr. H. H. Sheldon, head of the department of physics of New York University. "Such things,” said Dr. Sheldon, 1 ‘ as keeping airplanes aloft without engines or materialsupport, as stepping out of ,a. window into, air .without fear of falling, or of making a trip to the moon, as far as hindrance of gravitation is concerned, are avenues of investigation suggested by this theory. "For it gives us the one link that has been missing in our theories of the relations of electricity, heat, cnerg3’, light, space, time, .'gravitation and matter. . . - . Linked With Electricity.

r< ‘lf it stands up as a proof. that electricity and gravitation are - virtually the name, wc can attempt at last to insulate ourselves from the force of gravitation. "We know how to insulate ourselves against electrical currents, and perhaps as we earn 'more, the. day will come when it is no more unbelievable, that we can insulate against gravitation, than against the equally intangiblo effects of clcotriety. "Hhere on my desk is a striking illustration of the possibilities. It is a bar of permalloy, an alloy recently produced in the Bell Telephone laboratories here, and its new property.is unusual sensivity to magnetism. "I place it above another magnet. Soe, it. remains suspended seemingly by air alone,-an ineh above, the magnet on my desk. Thus far this force of magnetism is the only means, we have found experimentaily of balancing the foTce of gravitation. New Theoretical Tool.

"Now Einstein comes ih.. with a mathematical law which shows a relation between magnetism and gravitation, that we were not sure about heretofore, and gives a new theoretical tool with which to work. "It sounds incredible to speak of insulating ourselves from gravitation, yet the idea is perhaps not much more incredible than were some of those of •the previous steps that one by one have linked together the tangible thngs, such as iron bars ,to the intangibles, such as electricity and force, and upon which all our useful inventions are built.

"The first step was realisation that light and heat are related. That came early in the history of mankind. The others are all recent. In the second step Jules and Rumford showed that heat and energy (energy being another word for work) are related definitely by physical laws. "That idea was almost wholly incredible for a time, though now all our engines are based upon that law. One by one were shown the inter-re-lations of light, heat, energy, matter, space, tame, gravitation and electricity, until the only factor missing was the specific rolation between electricity and gravitation. This is what Einstein has given us.”