The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-21
MR.. KEDzIE's "sPEcULArroNs.n

H@Ats AA6D646 "a A1OOAGA A4V4t0s
SPEoULATIoNs: Solar Heat, Gravitation, and
Sun Spots. By. j. f. Kedzie. Chicago:
s. @. Griggs q Co.
This is new candidate for public favor in
the world of science and literature. 1t is a
new venture in book-making and theory
building. The author has an intellect of
large destructive and constructive ability.
He is great at pulling down and building up
theories. His work is both critical and con-
structiye; and his method is analytical and
synthetic. 1t shows large reading, indie
pendent thinking, and bold speculation. He
calls his theories speculations. This is wise
and true; for his system is certainly not a
body of verified scientific knowledge. He
does not make for it any such claim. His
speculations do not constitute practical sci
ence in any sense. They properly belong to
the metaphysics of science.
They are original, bold and plausible, but
they are not demonstrated or verified doc
trines of science. No well-trained scientific
mind will so regard them.
But the author, while he claims to believe
them as scientific truths, does not ask us to
do SO. His scientific postnlates, which should
be necessary and self-evident truths, with the
exception of the last, are pure assumptions.
There is no scientific evidence land from the
very nature of scientific reasoning cannot
be- of the eternity and infnity of matter.
The theory, as has been shown repeatedly,
contradicts the laws of physics and the OBJ
served facts, Of the universe, The doctrine
of the conservation of energy is now gener-
ally received as scientifically true. But even
this is not regarded by any able authority in
inductive philosophy as an axiom of science
The authors review and criticism of the
different theories of the suns heat is able
and destructive. He very clearly shows the
weakness and sometimes the absurdity of
these astronomical theories. There is not
space in this notice to give either his facts or
his reasoning. But this part of the work is a
real contribution to the scientific thought of
the day. His own theory of the source and
distribution of solar heat is very ingenious
and plausible. He starts out with the as
sumption that all suns in space are heated
bodies, the heat that radiates from them is
absorbed into the infinite ocean of ether,
converted into some other form of energy
restored to the suns, and is reconverted into
heat. This play of forces goes on constantly
and thus keeps up and will forever keep uI
the heat supply of all the suns and worlds il
space. He holds that heat is the one grea
central unit force that is converted into al
other forms of energy. But modern scienc,
teaches us that heat, like light and electric
ity, is a mode of motion; motion reveals tn,
action of force, but it is not force. Wher,
there is notion. something must move, an,
some force must move it. If heat be only
mode of motion like light and electricity ho,
can it be the source of all other forms OF en-
ergy. But according 10 our authors theory
how does he account for the waste and DIES
radiation of energy of which our leading SC
entists speak? If he rejects their theory, no
does he explain the phenomena upon whie
they constructed it? Is not his theory ia co,
fiiet with the generally received nebular h,
pothesis? What was the source of heat as Il