THE CLASH OF SUNS

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1911, Page 7

THE CLASH OF SUNS

AN ETERNAL .UNIVERSE

(>N. Z. Times Correspondent.)

JJGNDON, Feb. 24.

Professor A. W. (Bickerton's ".Birth of 'Worlds and Systems""' was published yesterday by Messrs Harper and Brothers in their '''Library of Living Thought," a series of new books writ ten by authorities, and devoted to the study of vital problems of today. In being invited to contribute to this series the New Zealand Professor is enrolled i na company of very distinguished men, for his fel-low-contributors include ' Tolstoy, Swinburne, Professor Arrhenius, Sir William Crookes, Sir Oliver Lodge, and Professor Flinders Petrie.

The book has a preface by Professor IBickeirton's old pupil, now a distinguished man of science, Professor E. Rutherford, ;F. 5...5. An advance "proof" of Professor (Rutherford's preface was included in a previous London letter. ißriefly, he considers that Professor Bickerton's theory of stellar collisions offers a reasonable and satisfactory not only of the origin, but also of the variations in brilliancy, and in' the type of spectra given by new stars. "In any case," v "he added, "the theory should serve as a valuable working hypothesis to the spectroscopic evidence afforded by new stars."

Professor Bickertons Partial Impact theory is so well known in New Zealand by this time that a sketch of it is hardly called for here. The kernal of it is. of, course, ithat a temporary star, such as we see blazing in the heavens from time to time, is a third body formed by a 'grazing collision between two other stars. It is the spark, so to speak, struck" off by the collision between flint and steel In many cases th.c third ibody is at such high temperature that the light elements are able to escape from it, and a spherical shell of intensely, heated gaseous matter travels outward at igreat speed into space.

It was, in 1878 that Professor Bickerton hit upon this idea. "The formation of .tnis explosively hot third body," he says, "was the fundamental thought that for' over thirty years has been growing ,and illurinating the fields of .celestial" dynamics in every direction. .... I had little thought at first to what distance so simple an idea would leacf one, and of Hhe mrfss of complexities that lay immediately in the way.* 7 This simple theory has, in fact, besides accounting- for a number ot otherwise inexplicable celestial phenomena, opened up. visions of an Eternal Cosimpact of two suns, the author of the theory has deducted vast .generalismos. iFrom examining, the partial ations which explain the origin and character not only of our solar system, but of the universe as a whole.

Our galactic system is apparently formed of two Vast and stately streams of stars — two cosmic systems which, "drifting towards each other, have interpenetrated. By the crowding of vivid" and dead suns, by their double drift, and by mutual attraction solar impacts must be produced. In this g-alaxy we do in fact find the wreckage of star collisions, such as temporary, variable, and double stars, planetary nebulae and other gaseous nebulae, star clusters and nebulous stars, in the collision of stars, if Professor Bickerton's theory be correct, are laid tfie foundations of new stellar systems. Out of death cometh life. The Cosmos is able to renew itself in vast cycles of birth and death, cycles which succeed one another fto -all eternity. It obeys what one. may term' a Law of Eternal 'Recurrence.

Let me in this connexion quote the New ,Zea,land iscientiisjt's impressive conclusion: , ' '

■"Wih£.n Ithe gireait jlthi^ikef, Lord Kelvin, propounded the apparently-in-exorable law of dissipation (of en- > ergy) that he had discovered ; when all the great philosophers and scientists that opposed the dismal doctrine of eternal death, that grew as a logical deduction from that theory, failed to' find a flaw in the reasoning, and eternal death seemed the undoubted fate of all -things ; then pcs- , simism' was fcerhtyps lattcywfaibTe. if not inevitable. "But if the entire mechanism of a cyclic system of creation be within our thinking power, surely we should use it as a basis of a rational optimistic philosophy tef human Kfe, out ot which grows that faith that — Pain is God's message telling him he errs; Dire misery reveals deep social wrong;; ' Joy is God's index- unto righteousness." Professor Bickerton has ai genius for exposition, and his Tittle volume of 55 pages on the ißrith of Worlds is a masterly summary of the largest generalisation ever- made in . explanation of .the mystery of the universe. . / Will the theory be accepted by the scientific world as a working . hypothesis?; Some distinguished • scientists have given it their cautious approval, l£ut the difficulty is in these days of specialisation to find a scientist sufficiently equipped in all the branches of science concerned in the theory AsbronOmars -are nqt Engineers ; engineers are not astronomers. What we want, says Professor Bickerton; is r ,a/Cosmophysic,Club, where the students of projectiles will meet the astropHysicist; the experimental hwestigator meet" the: astronomical observer. . Then each expert would aid in weaving" or in testing a corr. relation into which each . of these branches of. science enters. "Then perchance," says the Professor,. "celestial birth, maturity, death and rejuvenescence may be as well understood as is the mode, of organiq evolution We want a Shorne of union, where the wondrous discoveries of, each specialist shall have their places allotted in gTeat conception of the complex structure of the whole Creation." V