DOES WIRELESS MAKE RAIN ?

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1928, Page 3

DOES WIRELESS MAKE RAIN ?

“ From time to time new explanations are put forward to account for heavy or long continued rainfall, and one which has enjoyed great, favour is wireless. With . all this electricity about, say the unthinking, 'no wonder we have had*such a wet winter!” states “My Magazine.” “ People who think a little longer or a little farther back can see that his explanation will not do. The wettest summer in the nineteenth century was in 1879, before there were even telephones in any great number, and not many people used electric bells. The rain that raineth every day was known to Shakespeare, who no doubt lived through a number of very wet years and very diy ones as well. Nevertheless, there aie other believers whose little knowledge of science is a. dangerous thing, and who can find an electrical explanation which is a little more advanced. It is well known that a discharge of electricity will cause droplets of water vapour to cling together or to cohere. Therefore, sav these reasoners, it seems possible that when every wireless station in Europe is radiating away electric energy some of its causes the vapour particles in the clouds to coalesce and fall as rain. So far from being possible, or even probable, it is impossible. All the electric energy dissipated by all the wireless stations of the world would not be enough to start one shower.”