ROYAL SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18900, 15 January 1927, Page 9

ROYAL SOCIETY.

pBUfcONS OP \ RADIO I RESEARCH. ttffljn&riONAt CO-OPERATION. V WI ODS OWJT COBSMPOOTENT.) ti »i LONDON, December .4. iS'Butherford, President'of. tyfoity, delivered the annithe .members at Buri«*pn Tueaday. As'Piesi-|-ty record £ gratifying imiMOjWtodoh with internarelations. For tw:o »n the Council of their unanimously supported the •tW Cental Powers to full Roil.- At the-meetingin Brusmer he' moved-a resolution vhjcV was'carried unaniwas understood that this join the International Recil would be accepted in He was sure that all mem«oo% would welcome the 81>£ restriction in member-, was seriouslv hampering qnal eo-operation of scien•joke of the striking ad<Mton»i u ' had ben mad » in radioS..A . * and of the new avenues' IrfSS te the oJeotrieal state of 25? . that ' TOre °P en «d up by M»L . mode of P ro Pagation iIS ave , s aver the earth - I* i M%i U0 Bdßntifl o development in yma had le£ ' a deepSS , S 0 M hela y aiidßci e n^ fw'r? tt«a the remarkable growth >™jwl as a means of long-distance S™~*W of signals, speech, music, »«,^ {Me . 8 - T he history of t «JL * Bpe ? ial kto" B * to all scienS^ f^ lt iDDßtratedin a vivid J»» value of a close co-operation W proß* applied scionce for | c *"% High-Power station, tte noteworthy dovelopments oms?v pUm durk B tho y ear wed the opening of tho now « ttetion at Rugby, a , ong . Z*™*™ ma ny ways unique. ■ ww 8 World ' and its suchs Il^°? led 8 a and the bolddis P la y« d b y t] "> 3!5f« ftn e Post Office. The UtoSJ? f? d, °- t elephony with S? D near New York. tEfcJ 6 to conWgwe subscriber in Westl NortW 7 telephone subscribMth American Continent. Cl,sW ftopottles. grtable how the progress of *££«?*& instances deHoi nnUi . dlscov ered in He expert * $ e . caso °f the Wkino «. \i Cune . w'io, in P'wo-electric r a su »tablv-cut a PMaSi e,e e tric cnar B* on SSL* «hLT wtended - c, «- to. ' a PP lied to' the ■T l?m tt , one a * that '\*v,*> «.. • forcs ecu that

this property could be utilised to .control, automatically, and with great accuracy, the" freguency of the waves emitted by broadcasts stations, and thus be a' factor of great importance in reducing interference between stations. Illustrations bf that kind could easily be multiplied. For example, the discovery about thirty years ago in the laboratory of the photo-electric effect, in which certain substances exposed to light produced a copious emission of electrons, had formed the essential basis of. the methods used 'oday.in transmitting radio-pictures and in experiments on television. . Scientific Research. Referring to the experiments which were being conducted in connexion with the problem of the propagation of long and short electrical, waves over great terrestrial distances,: Sir Ernest ( observed that while, the study was of much interest in itself, the observations now being made by the. Radio Research Board-, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and others were of'even more value as giving t° scientists a new and powerful method of attack on the problem of the electrical state of our atmosphere, particularly at heights where direct observations were impossible. "We may anticipate," concluded the president, "that an extension of such .experiments will provide us with much valuable information, not only on the degree of ionization of the upper atmosphere, but on its diurnal and seasonal variations. Although only preliminary observations have so far been made on this question, the results obtained show that there, is much promise in this new method of attack on a difficult problem. The phenomena of the aurora, and tho diurnal variation of the earth's magnetism havu long been supposed to indicate that the upper atmosphere is highly-ionised, and an excellent conductor of electricity. I he origin of the ionisation is a matter ot much .internet. Part, no dembt is due to the ultra-violet light emitted by the sun, but there mnv be other important contributors causes. During Whs year, E. A. Milne has shown how certain atoms of matter, ejected from the sun. notablv those of calcium, may,, in consequence of absorption and emission or radiation, acquire sufficiently high velocities to penetrate deeply into our atmosphere. Tt mav be that the brilliant aurora and magnetic storms which so often accompany sunspot activity are a conseouence of the projection into our atmosphere not oniv of electrons, ns has long been swnwscd. but of swiftlv moving atoms of matter," Presentation of Medals. Tho President then presented the Society's medals to tho following:—fhe Copley Medal to Sir Frederick Hopkins, the .Rumford Medal to Sir Arthur Schuster, a Royal Medal to Sir William Hardv, a Royal Medal to Professor A. V. Hill, the Davy Medal to Sir James Walker, the Darwin Medal to Dr. D. H. Scott, and the Hughes Medal to Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Jackson. Sir Ernest Rutherford was elected President for the-ensuing year. Anniversary Dinner. In the evening tho 264 th. anniversary dinner of the Society was held at the Hotel Cecil, when Sir Ernest Rutherford again presided.. . Responding to the toast of liie Royal Society," proposed by the Right Hon. W. C.:Bridgeman (First Lord ot the Admiralty), the President said that at the summer meeting in Brussels ot the International Research Council it was unanimously agreed to invite the Central Powers to join that Council. They had thus removed the last barrier to scientific co-opertition between the nations, and ho trusted that would not only be of great value from the point of view, of co-operation-m science, but

also of promoting goodwill among the nations. Progress Since the War. •"Many of us," ho continued, "were afraid that the interlude of the War would for many years greatly diminish scientific activities. But wo find there has been instead an enormous advance in general scientific activity. Never in history has there been a time when there have been more able men, or men with greater imaginative power or experimental insight than to-day. The progress of science is so rapid that it is almost impossible for the individual in any particular branch to know more than a fraction of tho work that is being done. Thero seems to me no evidence that we have in any sense reached the limit of our knowledge. I think scienco will grow and invade every branch of human knowledge, including politics, and that there will be a very accelorated progress, providing always that there is peace.in the land. It is difficult for anyone to see what may be the result of this enormous systematic attack by experimental method joined with that of hypothesis and deduction." (Cheers.)