Atom-splitting Museum

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 188, 11 August 1936, Page 4

Atom-splitting Museum

LATEST SCIENTIFIC VENTURE

London is to havo an atom-splitting museum. Its official title will bo the Structure of Matter sectiou of the Science Museum iu South Kensington, and its aim will be to illustrate modern ideas of the physical universe. It will show the changing pictures of the atom drawn at different times by scientists, how the transmutation of metals can be achieved, and how the atoms can bo made radio-active —a secret which was nature’s alone until a few years ago. It will show, also, how X-rays can be used to explore the structure of solid materials —human hair included —and how matter sometimes behaves like waves. The latter discovery conlirms some of the strangest predictions of modern physics. Neutrons will bo “on view” and so will “positive electrons”—the two latest additions to the known list of nature’s building units. There will be displayed the equipment with which Dr. J. D. Cockcroft and Dr. E. T. S. Walton, working in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge, first split the atom by purely artificial means. It is hoped that other pieces of historic apparatus will also be available for display. Pinally, as an aid to understanding, a series of exhibits will bo provided to lead tho visitor gently from the older

and simpler doctrines of classical physics to tho modern picture which it will be tho main purpose of tho museum to make clear. While it is.realised that tho expository difficulties will be greater than any which the Science Museum as yet faced, the museum experts are confident that they will be able to make the venture a success.