THE UNIVERSE DISSECTED

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1923, Page 4

THE UNIVERSE DISSECTED

mnm.i'X si> I,vkd i;v i:adicm. FIR !•!. IM'THFRI'ORI) (>.\ IlCd.irVl 1 !X i: !I! IV. I.IVKRPOOL. Sop!. IS. Twoiity-iive year- ago Sir T.rne.-i >! in licrlord. limn a young Hachehir 01 Science, ivad his lit' ! lmper b.'l'nre the ilritislt A-a. :ri;uioil meet ing Imre. To-nighl sir Krilcst Rutlmriord adHr I■ md Cm- British A-sociai ion a- their pivmdcnt. and his po(.w!t. l.t'oadca -1 n! by a irclm-s, wa- li-teiicd to by people ill ' all parts of the country, \ ,\u v.'oiider that Sir Ifiuia-t dcserihod j Cm interval between the i wo Liverpool ; nice! iugs as making '‘the heroic age ni ; physical science.'' Tim Philharmonic. Mall, where lie spoke, was crowded with ; a di-i ingui sliisl gai boring of scientist ' sctfxck REvm.rTrox. j The title of the presidential address this year was The Kleeirical Strueluro: of Vljithr, til" -übject which has been! Sir Ernest’s life v.nrl:. I lie whole eon- . eeption of tiie atom, lie said, was revo- ' hit ioiiiscfl by the study of radin-aeli-v i f y. | "Tim radio-active elements provide' im- for the first time with a glimpse in- - to Nature's laboratory .and allow us cm watch and study, but not eore.ro]. the! changes Mint hare their origin in i'-.e. heart of the radio-amt ive .atoms." X'ow : Cue minute atom has 1.e.-n split up. and | science ha- di-eo-ered that each alpha | partiele "produces a Hasp if light. 1 ably visible in a dark room when il ' falls on a screen coarv-d with crystals of j zinc s'diihide.” I The later advances in wii'-'le-t"!e-:, .graphy and wireless telephony have; largely da'p"tided on tlm applmai ion ! et the rc-ult- of fundamental re- • searches mi the properties of electrons, I as illustrated in the 11 v of the ihermioiiie vtilve. or electron tube, which has proved such an invaluable ag, -lit both fer the i ran-mi-ston and recent! m of electric waves. A.i;"i further discussion of the st ruelure "f ilii' at'"n. Fir Frnc-sr said there was the -tron, gen evidence that the atoms of mat for ere built up of two elect idea! units, the eW; ron and the hydrogen nude”-, and. he added, "it is probable that these two are the fun-

elemental ■ and indivisibles units which build up our universe ; but we may re■orvo in uiir mind Ihe possibility that further inquiry may come day show that these units are complex." i Ol.q A I’I'OIXT.M Id NT. The hopes of those who have foreseen the possibilities ot a. new source ol energy for practical purposes in radium were dash(-d l.y the president. Il was admitted that the total evolution o! energy during the complete di-imegra-tion of one gram oi radium is many millions of time.-i grittier than in the combust i'ui of an equal weight ot coal : active elements were analogous in nr five elements were a tin I ignis in structure to the ordinary inactive elements, the idea arose that the atoms of till the elements contained a similar concentration of energy which would he avaihihle l'.,r use it' only some simple m l hod oeuld he discovered of promoto and i .a,; t eiliML'. their di: integration. I 'nieil :It j i'!i, Ila tv ia no evidence i ■ | lie- rale of •! ta i tit o" rai ion van he .".Holed 111 lie- -I. dtle. I degree. and !hu. I . In II I n ' ale. Ihe -time rertailif v to da I! i■ I I lie a I him - of an element roil Ia I n iiiildeii lore id energy. HOW Tilt: SI X KKKPS HOT. A. II .1 In r line of at i ark ell the problem of t!i.' I'wrgv of Hi" atom was imlietifed 10. Sir Mrla at. Il is based on Hie cum. narisoii < f the ivlai ivc masses of l lie element . lie illustrated his point by comparing the .doinie ma.eas o! lielinm and liydrogea. It seams jnnimble that I i limn is a very ch'-e eoiiibinmmu oi four by droy on ma !"i and I wo ele'd i ons The mas, .a the helium nucleus is eonThis loss in mas-, in iho building of i lie h liur.i lint lolls Id om hydrogen m e lei ’liiiioafes I ha! a large amount of 1 liergy in the lorni ■l' red in i ion lie < ha ul ’released. " 1 1 i-' ea<y to ctileiilaie Ido in lias In of mass." h" i on; mm d. "that 11 < emery free m funning one gr.iiiu:;e of heham is large even eomaared with 1 eat lihe ivied in Ihe loin] disintegra.tie , of oi;" gramme of radium, for '- ample. eadelllalinll shows tl.nli Hie ewi"-v rel'-ascd in Ihe forma lion of one pound of lielinm ms is equivalent to I lie energy eiuil led in the complete e.ilil. hi; i I a hen I u.nfl.) ions ~f pure eari on. "Il has m -11 gust ml by I'didingl on ■ and I’eriin dial it is mainly lo inis ui'l'e iil - iie:"rv (hut vo mtisi look lo main tbe bent emission of the an: and lad stars over long: periods of time. ( uI"U In ! nil's of Ihe |. - s hen 1 I’nim I'i'inu teed only t a lie place elimiy ia or h i r 1 o me in! ain iha preseni rate of radio Ia 1: for p. riod- of Ihe order of hi d- '"’iff AX I'! XifVi Tii.X. paid a -;i "nu! mm,;.. 1., ilm v ork m id a mug to I e.e id e of U'-w ideas, o 1 'lee prog res ss : ; j... demolition , n I'll ; r well-i -I ah!.- lie,] |i11•11;■ i 1• s. ,‘uieii i - latl !v the ea-. 0. Xo s| 1 tnaieii I coil Id he far l,or I rum t lie t rut li I linn i ind hh- -a m a era Ithel rv 01 rela 11 vit y 'e;s over; di" .1 11 (lie noi l; of Newton on graviiat ion."