New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-12
SCIENCE At SPRINGFIELD.

| Correspondence o. Ine N T. ITibuns
SPRINGFIELD, Wednesday. Aug. 10, $50.
The members of the Association for the Advance
ment of Science seem 10 lnger, as by some com
mon consent, for few hocrs about tie place where
they have spent a week SO pleasantly; not unwllI-
ing to wait for trains starting, taking them home
| at more convenient hours Ii Is conceded that
there hos never been more harmonious meeting
than the present since the organization OF the Society
Nor has this arisen from any want of new opinions
and positive additions to knowledge. The AssOcla-
ton challenges as by its title, to ask after each
meeting " hat has been done that has positively ad-
yspctd science that has either settled any point
dtSntyely aud put it forever among the things
known, or has given us reasonable hope OF lesdiOg
to such a result And this question need no. at
this time wait long for reply. Not to mention
many smaller matters, there shree or foar great
subjects upon which distinct light has been
thrown within the last week. from the labors OF the
learned men who are taking lesTe of each other
around me as l write.
The third paper entered on the register was by
Prof Bacoe, containing the results of mastery
discussion Of five years observation on the magnetic
needle, made at GIrard College showing uumistak.
ably that the connection between the terrestrial
III, guetism and the solar spots is not INA glary but
is real sId measurable. A paper afterward entered
BY Prof PIERCE, reyisiog and greatly enlargiug tue
methods of Olberts aud Bessal, showed from
rigid discussion Of both European and American
observations on DoDatis comet that the suns cleo
tric repul.ion was the cause which dSives out the
comets tail and that the luminous envelope oscil-
-. l.. 4. 81 To- 8. 4
zion, less pleasing 70 nervous persons was also
reached, that the nucleus OF the Genet, though
small, is a. heavy as rOD so that instead of calm
ing our fears of collision, BY insisting that the
comet is az light as moonshme, We must either
resort to the theory Of probabilities, and show how
small target this little terrestrial ball presen,s,
OF else place our trust in the WISDOM and goodness
with wbich all tie movements Of the planets are
presrraDged.
The discussion by Mr.. Schott of Dr. Kanes OBJ.
! seryatons at Rensselaer, Harbor gave new, unex-
pected, but positive testimony in favor Of the
existence of all open polar sea. And in respect TO
temperature, Prof Peirces remorseless figures
disposed efectuaDy of several theories concerning
the change Of temperature in the geologic periods,
showing that It could neither arise from the raia-
ton of internal heat nor from she drifting Of the
solar system toward or from stars Of peculiar bot
Less or cOldDess
Dir Henry j. Clark, a pupil of Agassiz, gave
also disastrous SHOT to the theory of rquiyocal or
spontaneous generation, whose advocates both
within and without the circle charmed by the
Ves,iges Of Creation resist so steadfssy the Arts
Tot al Il =
shows that the cells of decaying animal matter
simulate In the process of decay, animal forms and
life so well that many genera and species Of
infusOria have been enormously described when
The learned micrO-cOpst was only looking at dead
muscular fiber. We Of the unscientIfc world must
remember not TO pin our faith upon the word of
single nsn, OF however high character, since be is
which are confirmed by the consent OF different
men OF ability that We may consider as fixed
When the scientific fraternity 10 any particular
science have united 10 acknowledging the truth of
position taken by one Of their own number, we
msy be assured that il is true As long az there is
the least ground of debate the Dstural human
nhrui'y, which cliDes even to scientific men, must
BRING Out denial aud controversy; and when there
Is no controversy, il must be because there is no
ground on which to found a reasonable doubt.
might mention, also, as proof that this meet
Ds has actually been for the advancement Of
science, The papers of Prof Henry on Meteorology,
Of Prof Whitney on HIndoo Astronomy, of Prof
lie Conte on the Correlation Of Forces, and ofsey-
eral gentlemen in the departments Of Chemistry
and Geology. Nor were the pure Mathematic, the
INST and Oldest Of sciences, left without controu-
tors; Dot TO speak of the special problems of in
telest BY Messrs. Stafford, Newton Eastwood and
other', modest young man from Cambridge, Mr..