Professor Bickerton.

Progress, Volume VI, Issue 9, 1 July 1911, Page 728

Professor Bickerton.

His —Sketch of Proceedings.

The Chairman (the Right Hon. Sir George Reid, K.C.M.G-.): Professor Bickerton is hot, I regret to say, a native-born Australian, but,

like many Englishmen, he has been greatly improved by a visit to the Antipodes. Many years ago he was one of the most distinguished students in the Mother Country and one of the most successful teachers. He went out to New Zealand thirty-six years ago. He has come home to endeavour to draw public attention to a theory of his which has already been received with great respect by most of the high authorities and which may in days to come bracket with his name one of the most wonderful discoveries of science. What his theory is Mr, Bickerton will himself explain to you.

After the paper, published in Progress last month, the following discussion took place:— The Chairman: I wish to propose a vote of thanks to Professor Bickerton for his address. I lack the necessary qualifications to follow with certainty the brilliant theory he has expounded, but I do not think we need scientific knowledge to recognise that the theory is far more in harmony with what we believe of life and the mysteries of life than the theory which points to a dying universe. The spiritual theory is singularly in accordance with the theory of the address to-day, for it teaches that out of death comes a more glorious life, out of mortality immortality. That theory runs side by side with the theory propounded by Professor Bickerton: the theory that out of the collisions and collapses of Nature come a new life and a fresh universe. One or two thoughts crossed my mind while listening to Professor Bickerton ’s address. It is the first time, I think, that Australia has sent to you a man to speak on one of the great mysteries of science. We have sent cricketers, plenty of them, and fine fellows, as you know. We have sent men to your rifle meetings; we have sent champion scullers; Ave have sent statesmen. But now Australia, in Professor Bickerton, has sent a man of scientific mind dealing with the mysteries of the Universe. I wish to express my thanks to the Eoyal Colonial Institute for arranging for this address. As the Professor said, I think it is within the broad scope of the work of this admirable Institute. Is it not a grand thing sometimes that our attention should be taken from the earth upwards to the skies'? How seldom the average man or average woman looks up to the skies, . except on a question of overcoat or umbrella; but to-night we have been taken on a grand excursion into the remotest spaces of the heavens. I feel that the work to which the Professor has devoted his life will not only bring to him great fame, but will add marvellously to the light which is being shed more and more upon the marvels of Creation. What a marvellous work the illustrious Darwin did in his theory of Evolution 1 But the theory of Evolution dealing only with the visible living things on this little earth, is as simplicity itself compared with the evolution of the broad and mighty Universe, which may contain thousands of worlds and forms of life infinitely greater than our own. I do not think in the history of this Institute you will have a greater subject brought before you than this which Professor Bickerton has introduced. The Professor comes here with the highest credentials. The Government of New Zealand and the men of science in New Zealand are so impressed with the value of his discoveries that they have contributed out of the public funds to his mission to the Mother Country, and Lord Dudley, the Governor-General in Australia, made a splendid donation out of his own private purse. I ask you to join withme in a cordial expression of thanks to the lecturer.

Professor Bickerton: I am much obliged to you for your vote of thanks, and I have to thank our chairman very heartily for his very kind remarks. We all know how extremely busy he is, and that we should have him here on this inclement day to listen to a discussion on such a very erudite subject is a great compliment to us. I beg to propose a vote of thanks to the chairman.

Mr. E. B. Knobel (President of the British Association, Past President Astronomical Society): I have much pleasure in seconding the vote of thanks to the Chairman. It has been an extreme pleasure to me to listen to Professor Bickerton’s eloquent address. I have - given some attention to astronomy myself, and I can say that the basis of Professor Bickerton’s theory is such that it must command not only the attention and consideration, blit, I think, the assent, of the majority of astronomers..