THE SPIRIT WORLD

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1921, Page 3

THE SPIRIT WORLD

MR EDISON’S MACHINE. The announcement that Mr Edison is at work on a machine with which lit? hopes to be able to communicate with the spirits of the departed has been received with intense interest in Paris among all classes. Scientists, liawever. are sceptical. The “Gaulois” has gathered the opinions of a number of well known scientific authorities on .lie subject. Most of those cited are frankly sceptical, not only ‘as tq.tlie probable success of Mr Edisons’ hoped-for invention, but 0 n the whole question of the spirit world.” Professor M iquenne. of the Natural History Museum, bluml/ dismisses the whole matter as “humbug.'” Professor La.ver/an, -t i!.e Pasteur Institute, isays: “I don’t believe a word about this alleged inventirn, ai.y more than T believe in spirits. Every so-called ‘spiritualist’ phen.on ?n.m has proved, when it has been '-lose!, rtii.l ied, to lie trickery. There can be no two opinions on the subject.” Professor Robin, if the Faculty of Medicine, roundly asserts that “there is nothing to lead to the belief that there is any such thi£ng as post, mortem existence under another form,” and counsels that such day dreams isliould he left, alone. M. Lippmann, Professor of Physics, at the Sorbonne, says,: He hopes for Mr Edison’s own sake, that he has never made the statement put into his mouth by his interviewer. He adds: “Communication with the spirits will he no surprise, however, in the United States, where there exist establishments that have been specially created for telephoning with the dead, and T am told they do very good business.” Professor Bra.nly, Professor of Physics at the Catholic Institute, .whom the French acclaim as the inventor of wireless telegraphy,‘says: “If Edison really made the statements attributed to him, all 1 can say is that he is deluding himself Even if his apparatus works, it will not follow that its action 'is due to spirits. Certain natural forces may have this influence, as often happens in connection with wireless telegraphy.