RUTHERFORD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 28 October 1925, Page 5

RUTHERFORD

A SCIENTIFIC GENIUS

TO ARRIVE IN NELSON TO-MORROW MORNING

EPOCH-MAKING DISCOVERIES

It is impossible for the ordinary layman to comprehend the real'dimensions of his work. He has mounted tin*, heights of knowledge, on another plane of life than that of every-day affairs and few there are who can follow and not many who can do more than watch the ascent, said a writer in the New Zealand Herald on the occasion of Sir Ernest Rutherford’s arrival in Auckland. Nevertheless he has the capacity ior indicating in ordinary language /he nature of his discoveries and those of other scientific giants. He is anything but the “long-haired professor," a term which fails humorously from his lips, who lives in a world apart and cannot tune his mind to- a ncii-technical note. He likes motoring, enjoys golf, cracks a joke in the middle of a discourse upon tho atom and, according to one writer, might be taken for a practical farmer. In Melbourne, the- other day, lie mentioned in a lecture that Hr. Kapitzer was now engaged in the insulation of a special dynamo generating a current of no fewer than 80,000 amperes at 2000 volts. “The really interesting part of this experiment, *’ 'lie remarked, “is what would happen if I lie dynamo short-circuited.*' Amid the chorus of laughter ho added that it had been carefully installed—well in the centre of a large room with an open skylight above it "in case of accidents.” The object was to carry this terrific pressure of electricity through a coil and break it for one-hundredth part, of a second. He knows how to stimulate the imagination of the man in tlhe street. To demonstrate the smallness of an atom ho said that estimating the population of the earth at 1,000,000,000, if everyone were able to count continuously 100 a minute for 24 hours a day, in 1000 years they would have succeeded in counting the number of particles in a- quantity of gas which would till a space about (lie size of the end of a man’s thumb.

ary system with

STUDENT AT THE -CANTERBURY COLLEGE

To return to his career ns a student, the scholarship upon which, perhaps, hung everything that- has followed, took him to Canterbury College, where, as an undergraduate, he played vigorous but not particularly brilliant loot-ball in the “pack,” boated'a little, played some tennis but, never danced owing, it has been said, to the fact that he did not have a dress suit. In 'his two final years, he specialised on science, and was almost constantly in the laboratory. Having taken his M.A. degree with Jirst class honours in mathematics and physics and his B.Sc., lie won the 1851 Exhibition Scholarship with which he went to England and entered Trinity College, (.'ambridge, in 1895. Research, by this time, had gripped him completely, in fact, lie took with him ideas and designs for a magnetic detector of wireless signals which was afterwards turned to good account. He arrived at Cambridge at a fortunate moment. The workers at the Cavendish, Laboratory, under the leadership and inspiration of Professor J. J. Thomson, were setting out to explore new fields of science in which (lie importance of the electron was to he a guiding principle. A body of unusually able men was joined by Rutherford, who at once threw himself into the work and was the author of its most remarkable advances. He did a great deal of research bearing on cathode rays and ionisation, which admirably equipped him for, and no doubt attracted him later towards, seeking to elucidate the many and complex phenomena connected vvitli radio-active substances. In 1896, Bec.querel made his great discovery of radioactivity in uranium, and tho subject immediately drew Rutherford, who, in the following year was awarded a B.A. research degree and the CcuttsTrotter Studentship at Trinity College. RESEARCH AT McGILL In 1898, the momentous discoveries of Schmidt arid Madame Curie abd her husband concerning thorium, polonium and radium and their radio-active properties were made, and by happy chance, new opportunities were'afforded to Rutherford who, although only in iris twenty-eighth year, was appointed Macdonald Research Professor of Physics at McGill University, at Montreal, which possessed one of the finest physical laboratories that thought and money could equip.. Great progress was made, numbers of distinguished scientist.' working with Rutherford and finally they formulated a new theory on the subject of radio-activity, ll was tin's: That radio-activity is an atomic phenomenon accompanied by chemical changes in which new types of matter are produced; that the changes must occur within the atom and that the radio-active substance must he in a state of transformation. The theory was loudly assailed but Professor ' Rutherford submitted 1 1 is proofs and it was soon universally accepted. For his discoveries, Dr. Rutherford (tho degree of D.. Sc. having been conferred upon him by the New Zealand University in 1901) received the Koval Society’s Rumford Medal. While ‘at McGill tie published several hooks hi radio-activity which are the recognised authorities upon tho subject. llis investigations and discoveries attracted to McGill students from all parts of the world some of whom have achieved scientific fame. It has been said that he might have claimed some of the. credit of In's pupils' achievements, hut. Iris nature had had too generous a mould to allow him to corn pel n for laurels.

VVORK AT MANC HESTER

He went to {Manchester as' JjTngwortliv Professor and director of the physical laboratories at the Manchester University in 1907, where assisted by a, very capable group of research students and colleagues, he pursued the work. He carried out the experiments which led him to the theory of atomic structure that dominates the world of physics today. He proved that the atom, instead of being something very solid, must have a very open structure and suggested that it must resemble a small planet-

MOST DISTINGUISHED OLD NELSON COLLEGE BOY

Sir Ernest Rutherford, the distinguished scientist, arrives in Nelson to-morrow morning on a visit to his old surroundings.

It was in 1839 that Ernest Rutherford, the son of a farmer in the Nelson district, passed out of Nelson College with a New Zealand University Scholarship.

Within 20 years he had become one of the outstanding scientists in the realm of physics and chemistry in the world.

He is the leader of a small body of men who are maintaining Great Britain’s supremacy in the world of physics.

a positively charged

“sun” in the middle and electrons like tiny planets circulating round it.

The award to Professor Rutherford of the Pressa Prize by tin l Turin Academy of Science in 1908 fixed Iris world wide leputation. Its significance was that, liis researches and discoveries during the previous three years were in the opinion of the Turin Academy of Science, a. scientific body of weight, the most distinguished and important that had been made in that period in any branch of science. The same year he was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry. The Nobel foundation is based on the will of l)r. Allred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, wfin left a fortune from the interest of which five prizes each worth £IBOOO are awarded eacli year for the most important discoveries or improvements in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine, the most distinguished work on an idealistic tendency m the field of literature, and for tin; best effort toward fraternity of nations and tho promotion of peace. The two awards in I,be one year reclaimed Rutherford's genius.

In 1919 lie became Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge succeeding Professor Thompson, under whom he hud worked as a student. Jn 1923 lie. was president of the British Association for trie Advancement of Science. His knighthood dates from 1914. He married a Christchurch Jady, Miss Mary G. Newton, in 1900, and they have one daughter.

S( 'I K N'J ’ fST’fi APPRECI AT 10 X In an appreciation of Sir Ernest Rutherford upon the occasion of the 1923 gathering of tlie British Association, the Australian scientist, Sir \Y. H. Bragg, wrote : "The. importance and the volume of I lie work- now proceeding there (the Cavendish Laboratory 1, and tho enthusiasm of tbe men engaged in it are evidence that Rutherford has not lost any of his old powers. He possesses the keen love of research for its own sake. He lias a fine judgment of the essential, and goes to work in a way which, when the end is reached, is seen to have been obviously direct. His arguments and results are expressed in simple and straightforward language which reveals tlie completeness and force of iris thoughts. He has the courage to break with precedent and to try out iris own ideas. Rutherford lias upset .many theories, hut lias never belittled anyone’s work. He lias added new pages to tho book’of physical science, and lias always taught Iris students to venerate the old, even when the writing lias become. a little old fashioned.

“Perhaps it is by characteristics such as tiiese. quite as much as by iris own scientific perception and technical skill, th,at .Rutherford exercises so wide an influence. He takes always tiie broad and generous view, readily giving credit to others for their contributions to knowledge and never pressing for the recognition of iris own. For this reason iris students have worked under him vvitli loyalty and affection, knowing that their interests were safe in his ‘hands. For this reason, too, he lias friends among the scientific workers of every country and is welcome everywhere.

“Even these qualities would seem t,u be insufficient to account for tiie position which he holds in common with one or two others only, such as Lorentz and Haarlem. He lias, in addition, a sound grasp of the essentials of business mil a quick understanding of tho thoughts and feelings of tit rise witlb whom iie is dealing, ft has happened at more than one gathering that progress lias been slow until Rutherford lias taken the lead, and, with iris driving power and natural kindliness, has brought about a successful issue. It is the combination, tiie unusual combination, of so many qualities that- lias won for Rutherford a host of admirers, and is tiie cause of tiie general satisfaction that lie assumes the presidency of the British Association.”

PROGRAMME OF ARRANGEMENTS

Sir Ernest Rutherford will not now arrive in Nelson until to-morrow morning, as lie will spend to-night at Havelock, where as tt lad he attended tho local school.

The Director of the. Cawtlirr-n Institute has supplied us with the following revised timetable in connection with Sir Ernest’s visit : Thursday, October 29th : 11 a.m. : Arrives from Havelock.

12 nor.,n : Civic reception by His Worship Hie Mayor of Nelson and the City (’ouncil.

2.45 p.in. : Arrives at Foxhill school and afterwards pays short visits to Wakefield and Spring Grove schools. 4.15: Visits relatives in Bright water. 8 p.m. : Entertained by Nelson College Old Boys. .Fridav, October 30t It:

Visits the Cawthron Institute. Takes lunch tit Nelson College and addresses the bovs afterwards.

8 p.m.: Delivers fine Cnwlliron lecture (.•n Matter and Electricity." During Iris slay in Nelson Sir Ernest Rutherford will lie the guest of Professor and Mrs Fad et field.

SIP, ERNESTS ADVICE SOUGH! BY THE GOVERNMENT

(United P-ess Association ) WELLINGTON, Tin's Day

The (!overninent has referred to Sir Ernest Kntherford for his advice on the quest ion of the relation ol .science to industry in New Zealand, with special reference to the report of the special committee set up to consider the needs and necessities of manufacturers in this country with regard to scientific and industrial research, it being recognised that industrialists in New Zealand should have, the opportunity of .carrying on their work with the assistance which modern science can give.

itie cable news :n trim issue aoc.iwjn.eo 1 to The Times has m that jourtnal, but only where exprewly •tatwll u -such Utw, the vliUamt ’ b ‘ - «M»I