Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-19
PERPETUAL MOTION.
4 Dream of Sciolism and Not ol
Scicncc--A Hobby Of Harmless
(runk-.

Scicncc--A Hobby Of Harmless
Crnnks.
Science has made progress chiefly be-
cause the majority of men are SO con-
slitutcd rs TO be capable OF realizing
the force of demonstration, remarks
THE Aew Iori Tribune. Were no, this
percoptiye faculty general the world
migth still be disputing as TO what two
and two make when added together.
and there would have been no conscn.
sus of opinion upon any OF these gen.
ordinations from experience which We
call natural laws But while most
men are able To- realize demonstrations
there are some always who do not pos
scs, this power and these peculiar peo-
pie furnish the paradoNes, ~ Prof. Dc
Morgan used to style them: the
''cranks. as they are CommOnlf termed.
ihcre are many who become cOnv Mood
{ al the circle can be squared. and who
are fascinated b. the aiurtmtnts OF
porpetual mot on, on secS With
chiljlike faith the philosop ,one.
lo-luy the quest ol the ust-namcl IL
fusion has nearly ceased, but the circle
squarcr still flourish and mahe lie
weary for national clans and the Sec
rctarics of learned societies, while the
enthusiasts who are sure they have
solved the problem of perpetual motion
continue 10 be numerous and confident,
and say and write bitter Things about
the hide-bound men of science who re-
fuse TO hear of the q scovery of new
laws of nature and mechanics.
The last paradoNcr 60 discover per-
petual motion has Just been rcyc9. Il
in Springfield O. by The Gi.bc. HcI}S5.
lie OF that town. He j. Il Frcnchmau of
venerable years. bat full If fire and of
course. quite certain that Inc ha, done
the trick Unfortunately an accident
/ has happened to some parl OF the ma
chincry, so that a conclusive Demon
! stration can not vet bc given. The
Gi0bc- RepHJiic amply set, forth the in
ycntor's belief in the gcnuinenc~. of the
discovery, and Herewith print The
opinion of scientific authorities upon
The problem. 1t is hardly correct. how
ever, TO speak. rs our esteemed content
porary does. Of perpetual motion "a, a
dream of science 1t is in tath Il
dream of scolsm, not OF science.
Science knows and ha- long known.
that the problem Is insClublC in prac-
tict and the reasons for this couclu~ on
are mt once 80 simple and 50 conclusive
that % remarkable degree OF crank
ness i, needed for the creation and
maintenance Of a belief !n the possible
| it's oil ~ae cess. If aman should appear
who declared taat lac ha solved the
problcm of carrying himself u a ba,k.
! et, il /, doubtful whether tn most COM
hrmcd pcrlc;uai-moiion crank would
! give ia his adhesion To the statement.
But perpetual motion is the cilcc! idcn-
teal with carrying ones sell in Il
! basket
No doubt seek ng perpetual motion Is
an innocent way OF wasting time, COM
paratiyely -peakng " is decidedly 4
/ better way than making dynamite
bombs. Tor instance The Springfield
Frcuchnan certainly has not discovered
perpetual motion. for perpetual motion
j. an impo>.ibi.ity. 70 intimate that he
may have do1e so is TO assert that action
and reaction may possibly not bee equal;
| and 80 on, Indefinitely: and this IS nom
sense. No doubt the poor FrcHrhman
has derived "a great deal of pleasure
and satisfaction from h , hobby. and
no doubt h, VIII 20 on tjnher,ng with
it TO the end of the chapter, for para
doXer, of his Kind are utterly incapa-
bic of being set right, as i, obvious
when one considers that lher peculiar
mental cond ton dsallco them from
thinking iu straight lines. Probably =
time viii never come when there VIII
bc no crank> Of this harmless oharac-
ter and they are interesting >tudi"~ 50
long as they are pres ntcd for VIVA.
! they really are.