ANNO DOMINI 2023.

Shannon News, 17 July 1923, Page 1

ANNO DOMINI 2023.

ADVANCING STEP BY STEP

WHAT SCIENCE MAY ACCOMPLISH.

Nearly everyone must have noticed that science is no longer looked upon with contempt ' . . This constant wanting to know “why” is the reason for most of the improvement that has taken place in the world. The bygone history of science is only interesting in that it provides us with the early end of the progress curve. Three or four thous-? and years in science is but a moment. Once this fact of relativity is grasped, it is easy to forecast quite a number of lines of progress, writes Professor A. M. Low (the noted consulting engineer and research scientist) to the “Sydney Sun.” Just take a small period like one centuryj and think what has happened. During the past one hundred years we have developed the locomotive, the motor car, the airplane, the telephone, kinematograph, and wireless telegraphy. Now, if all these wonderful inventions take place in one century (remember that each one of them gives us another weappn to make new discoveries), it is quite logical to assume that in the future changes will 1 take place in our life 'and our modes of travel, and in every detail which will be equally great As a simple example* consider the motor car. Sixteen years ago the ordinary car built to carry four people used tjOj.be fitted . with an engine of about 40 nominal horsepower; it occupied a space about four feet long. The modern motor car to carry four ‘peopled needs an engine- of about 10 horse-power, which occupies considerably less than two feet, although the speed with thpse four people on board will be much higher. MOTOR CAR OP FUTURE. It is more than likely that- the motor car in two hundred years will have tiny little engines tucked away underneath the chassis, somewhat about where about where the gear box is now situated. Let us now take a common example of every-day life. During the winter wo suffer from what is known as the “London Particular.” The city fog, which we treat as a joke may hold up the whole business of the country. It will hold up our law courts, our Parliament,- and even a big thoroughfare like Regent Street, where tens of thousands nf pounds are spent every day in the attraction of customers. One foggy days means a very serious loss of revenue.

Speed of travel and of communication is another most important change taking place under our very noses. A few centuries ago we were quite content to travel from London to Brighton in a day. Now we to do it in one hour, and no doubt in a few hundred years’ time we shall be’ very annoyed if we cannot make the trip in comfort oy or v by air in ,15 minutes in perfect • comfort, I shall be disappointed if inside ten years I i cannot do a kangaroo hop to Australia in a week’s actual flying. You may have noticed how important comfort ■ is becoming; even the London omnibus ■is being found too rough and ready, . « ( uid is now to be protected from the , weather by hoods and wind screens. Clearly, therefore, we may say that travel will become luxurious, and 'afternoon tea on a local train will be very ordinary. FARADAY’S RETORT. : Another familiar example is that of .noise. Only the other day a man was {fined for ringing a muffin bell in the ’streets. .Some years ago we used to be ; quite pleased to wake up and hear the ’birds singing, and to hear a man calling “Sweet Lavender” in the Streets;' but now we have changed all that in ,the progress of our mental delicacy.. iWe put down rubber roads to prevent' the rattling of vehicles, and we put up; notices at street corners stating that .organs and street hawkers are prohibi-. fed. - ■ As regards wireless itself, we are on the fringe only of its work. In a century’s time we shall be able to have ■events broadcasted to us absolutely selectively as they take place. It seems more than likely that pictures of the events themselves will be shown also, and even this is no more surprising to us than would the wireless telephone have appeared to a savage of 300 years ago. ' It is only four hundred years ago that we laughed at the Duke of Buckingham for wasting money on the search for a liquid to prolong life and to change mercury into gold. We do not laugh now when we hear of the thyroid gland treatment, or when Professor Rutherford tells us that by atomic bombardment it may be possible to change the nature of materials. ' Patentees must be proud to think that the need of the inventor is recognised. A glimpse into the future should make us very humble; it should remind us that the scientist of the future will look upon us with pity and contempt. New thoughts should always be encouraged, for they may have great endings. Remember that .when Faraday first made his magneto, now used on almost every airplane and motor in the world, he was asked by a woman what use it was.

His reply was this: “ Of what use, madam, is a new-born baby ? ”