POWERFROM THE SUN

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 631, 7 October 1909, Page 8

POWERFROM THE SUN

THE WORLD'S FITURE ENERGY. WHEN OOAL GIVES OUT ADDRESS BY SIR J J THOMSON. ;¥y,;', v; thoßHtislr-UMciiition-opened oa'AußUs't2a,;Vr6fessor;. Sir- J.- ,1. i-.l;hofflSoii -'m'ftkiil'g.itlVfrVlaaiigiii-al,..address.- In. 'British ittieni; -aoien- ;. tistk-\Hr6 p'reimt. . . v.. J-'" ths/ iiddress: is ' givett 'tlie-i^niidtf;''&lly 'A he . claimed. R;?® -foj/ltava'y of 0110,' brunch of '• ... ' Oaiiadi'a'n,'.seiencO,', :for''ft. : .lidd. been', his .•priyi'i^; ; theGavendibh;. Labbrutory : many,; students / iroiii, .Universities, I® some' of them holdera 01 .■ the'. liisl;.fichol4.rships.; -i'.' U'here^was '■ - country, which had done ov vyas. dbirig better ExcesslvevScholarship Competition.,. , ■!.■ ■ JT "hAve ' had," he said, "opportuniui i.. 01 - comparing ,the.'effcct '.on .th'o best .nieii 'of . tlig fi'c-: ; K;v''^iii!aH&nal'By^feiii, < in;'fdrM,at,yoUi': : un . universities. ■ ■-Well, -as .a result, .1-have come i' ; to,;tlVe ; ( conclußipn. tljat .there .is , a gowl '.deal, i S^ : i,laUer'; heeii ' ■' ■ .'wisQi inot,.-to .irritate.- ; ;,The ,\cuief ''.evil., fpiu . suft'er. 'ivnd wKir.h '.Vou'. ;«■. 1- have avoided; -is; 1. i\m .ponviiiced, .the ;vk^ttpet.itiph ) The colleges Hi ; , ■ the'-LTniversit}; ,'of ' Cambridge, alone give, more .that',il3s,'o9o;a'yeai;!,'in ! ;scliolafships;'.t() 'lindijrsuppbso/tlie .casu; t|ie' . .fame at,.Oxford.. . The .result , of .tliis 1 is. that . prepatation'.for.,these scholai'ships .tiominritos ; - th'e;, ediicAtio|n. of ;tho' great' 'majority of the ' too. otten, means 7 .that about two years before.. , ;the..rexattination;' < the; '„,b6y.;i^begins..; to :S>-; specialise,;and. : 'from,; tiie. • agtf._of; Jsixteeii, does' little else than the, subject for which lie wisheq to,,'get- a - scholarSAip:; J -.'The, .effect,,;Pf studying.: one V sub] only, , '.-for. so' long--a itime- is. ,too, often ~to (lull his S!®?; ! - ;; .«ttthtisiajsm for it-akdihe'ifeinS-research-vith !> much of,-7;hisv : ,eatlyr-,ihter^. : K v k>;:; thersCis;hardly; , • more essential to success 'in-research , thau en- • ,thusiasm"... ... P-'i' ■ v .'* . The specialisation .prevalent in schooloften. ; i."V--:/proveh^ •-' : : ; ' Bufficient ;kn6wl€dge': ; " .Two: r . points of " view were-better Ahan one, and> the v,-physicist ;ivho' ;pos* k: ; ; " : 7 sessed a moat powerful instrument .for scientifib ;}.v. many' of the:' greatest ; ens>.i.-~ : s'■ beerivmade;">-.He^.had^,also,.'-:at,' his. clear;/concise,v'iflVi- - * there Iwasfno. better, detecting ambiguities and' drscrepanciea in his ideas this .lan- ' /pi^geV'. In&6d^*it:'.would"'\6eeim:'that>the; most /:• • by-rcrqss-fertilifiation. between the mind and 1. 6ome aefinito.fact and-that'the mmd by itself. •••. •. was- : compv^tively^tlnj^d^iStiye., ■ ■ Most ox ub had-to tackle some 'definite., iiffi.- ■-. culty 'before v- our -.minda /.developed • whatever -s powers ' - might ..possess.: .This was true if •. y. for:'.-even :tne youngest; tfor' 1 • Bchoolboyfl l ■■ and; • ; v'.v- - -..moral - to/ be; draWß., from, ■ v it-was that >we should-aim. at,mafang: the edu-, 't ; f^catibii• in v bur - schoolsas 1 . * practical v and; concrete. as .. It to' ''read-.' books, -i -to. !»pasa,. examina-tions • . without/-the ;higher - qualitiea' of; we • called:into play. - But. it was not possible iot t boy..to make a boat "or,, for.-a girlito ,cook •:: ; :-..ft..dinner without'iising , 'b7ains,y... l .'v-: / Exchange of Students. •1 should like to see," continued Sir J. J. ' ' Thomson;-, ''a - considerable • : interchange of > ■' v•. gtndents between'.the;umversines m tho Mother those in the.colonies.;,l can thinkr of 'nothinß >.more likely- to. lead to; a., better and». prejudices ofbne.;coun'try.:by;:another,, of '• A'- - those Jcou spendingia their, student a --life .together.: :.Undergraduates, .as a. rule,, do i v -* other ,material,, and . have \ probably a better 1 'i fact,;knowieach;.other,, better than ) • -:;: :^d6, .,pebple':of - riperJ-Jage.- . To . bring tKis\opm-: : \ . : ;'mtmion':bf /students ' about, vmust .M .|co- •] operation befeweeh ' tbe cuniversities , -v:. the Ulnpiret ,there, must .be.recogmhoE ,of .each, N - . . - other's examinations, • residence, and degrees./ i -''After.. discussing, at; some' length ihe. nature :• of - positive.!,.'and negative .-uwts ' ; ';-v ■ ' 'size'-of .the.'electricity,- the and- - ; ;;"'w.ould /the ..^Qr.; 'ycon*-'

/ . structing • what may. be 'called a molecular theory, of electricity, and would, be a starting -' - point -for- a' 1 theory ;of '.:the - structure; of ..mat-. .; ' .ter;-for 'the", most natural view to taip, as a provisional hypothesis, is that the . matter ,is - ■■ just a collection', of positive, and negative units , of, electrioity, and that the forces which hold atoms.taid -nlplectdps;-together^,'-'the;properties i which; differentiate one. kind of matter from V5-V'.*'^,'. ; an<ither,vyishaver^.iheirippgin.in .thei'ejectfical. :■ : 'forces exerted negative units ; .c: ''-'of' grouped' ; ;,£oirether;''indifferent s'lirays' in thy atoms ''of the.'; different ;elements.. World's, Master Workor. ■ {-/"Tiie!-matter- of I been-speaking , : , so-far is the material which builds up tho i.'.V;. earth;-the. suni - arid .the '■-stars,, - the . matter: '. sttfdied by the chemist, and . which ;he 'can represent -by- a formula-,- -This matter ,occu■'.l ■ 5 ' pies,.-'however, .ibilt ':an .' insignificant;.fraction-. , ' .- ' .'of the universe; it forms but minute islands.f in '. the - great v.ocean of the ether, ihe .- sub- ; ": I "stance, with-■ vwnich vthe whole' .'universe:' is ■ ■ filled. . , , S>' I V.'.:".'!-^^s,f«H^..is.^nbt>«S'-fanta^c,;,«!eah«)(i. l !Oi'. .' - the speculative :phil6sopher.;-:.-ii is -as .essen-,, ,tial to -us-as -thoi'-air/we -breathe. . For we,, , : - riiuat ,:remcmber -,*thatf, wevpn, this- .earth' .are' ; -living :;on-iouri>pwni : -r«<mrces;' : .; from minute to minhte upon : what- ■' '■ we.'aro'. getting.from. thevSuil,' and :the,'gifts ' v'.'? are'Tcohyeyed-..tov.uS. by.-the,ether., „ ,; is ito' ■ the/'sunyjthatj'jye; owe" ript. -nierely ;;nighf ; i^hd:?day,ylßHii^tiriie/.;and. : ;hafvest,-but- ( ; it- / energy,; ; pfi >the j: sun;storedup r in r | yl-.f V '~fM'd,: ; ; that ;.,practically' ■'] . does-all the-Kork'of the world. . •: v | "How. is'the supply the snn lavishes ,j : tipori'^us' becpmes , '.elear'. l cdnsider-.-that'- •, the. heat received; under .a' high »sun -and - a 'elear.';sk.v..isi'equivalent;,according to',,the imca-' ■ ( ; .suremehts.,':of- jliaflg]ey,V'-to; about -7000, horse-;' ( ppwer Viwr .-acre., -'.-Thpughf onr.VenWheers.ihaye' ;'] - ' not-yet disoovered how 'to .ntiliFe .this cnorrabua' .! , , power,,'they. ,wfll, I have■ not- tlio f i*lightest ; :doubt, 1 ultimately.isncceed'in , '.doing I ;-so, and when coal is exhausted and out ! water-' i »«-<■ .power/inadequate.', it..may W-thatf-this'is: the' i • -- wnrcp from which, we shalj donvo tho enerev i /}■ j-.bet^^aryf or, - the \ world's' -worki ';.-" that t about our cfintres 'Sf industrial activity ( i! v vW®X^^haps,. te";transfMrM../to, ;the* burning' -i , ■ ■ deserts_ of- tho.-Sah(ira; . and the-valuo ■ of-land ( :; determined,by. its suitability for the; reception- i . ofi'trapS-to catch sunbeams.,,• V; v t ' .;--. f T!his', energy, -'in the interval- -between its' 1 ;. ' . departiire;. from - the, ;snn.:and ; its ;arrival .Vat ■ : the.earth,-must be in;the space betwoen thorn, 's ; #? "- : ; Thus : this: space' niust ,contain something .which, " V;H wdmary .matter,'.can. store,; ' rip; .'energy. 1 ' : iMiph';;.can;; carry.; at ,'a'ri. enormous ' pace ' the • '■i r ;■ .e.nerßy i; assooiated':-,ifith;,'llight;'aiid' heat,. : and • i »}tresse? - peceseary ;;;keep': the -earth-circling t ; and.'fte':iiio6ii 'rttind the .'earth. ( of light' ' e P® r ', . :,, y , ing to. -the. e.nrth' .travels,:through', tho ether- ih • ; j electric-,-waves. ;-; Thus' practically, vthe;',whole.'oi 1 at.ipur',disposal -has at ione.'time. or :3 other been eleptrical energy. Tho other must," ' V £ hen > -tho seat '-of electrical and magnetic £

A Renaissance in Physics ' Aitar referring, to .the-medical properties of '■ : being Professor, Sir Jv.Jv'.inomson- concluded',his- address- as foiJOWSIT*. .. 'V t • " The riejp .a.ficjW«Heio.ina3«;in!- ptivsics'VirT 1 the . ideas and "po- 1 ■■««e* -fIPSF'-Uw- workers:in that .-subject akin: to , f V„ Titorjitiife b>- ,tho Bonaissancp. -/. Enthtisiasnr,has-been -quickened; and there'- is , ► a hopeful, jouthfnl, perhaps exuberant, spirit - aoroafl j >v;hich Jeaupi.men tosinakc iwith confi- ■ •:which would hiiv'e been' ' ; / - fantastic, twenty:, years i-agrf. It' haV qilitq .dispelled the; pessimistic -feeling, .iot un-" . v J % ?P,9? ro°n•« t--tlxat all the-iriterestirii? r thing* find bccui disagree!, and ill that was ' - J v^'- o ?".fVtor a .dociriial 6r. two in somo y :,physical Coristant.;-K .-.!"■ , , 'l'licte ;nevcr..v,is any : justificalion tor this ap. proaclrto;fiiiaiity, in/science. Tho sum of knowV F"?t present,., at/anyrate; a- diverging, '.ft., converging series.-vAs' ; we : conquer peak' M..wo see• : jn.-front.of-us.regions, full Of {,'interest'and•. beauty,:,but k .we -do not see our : ■ TO|o. not see/ the horizon; -in 'tho distance ' • ; .towcr :^WI hi|jherpeaks,;, which -will yield--to .those - who ascend- theni' $till wider prospects •; > • and ' deepenr the vfedling,'-whose - truth i- is em--by -?fery advance in; science that '•Gmt/are the works, of the Lord/""':--'' ;