The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11
KINETIC STABILITY.
BY ROBERT STEVENSON,
SECOND PAPER.

have, been to the energy OF rotation 10
produce sufficient heat during certain
time to put the whole mass of the solar
system into state of incandescence OF
sufficient intensity to overcome It's cone
sion and centripetal force and so enable
the nebula to extend as far as the farthest
planet in the system.
To these we might add hundreds OF other
examples, which are all due to kinetic
stability, and yet no mathematician at
present can explain them. If my discov-
cry will enable mathematics to explain
them surely this discovery is worth know
ing. Surely such discovery should in
terest the Stanford University more than
the classification of a thousand butterflies,
or the discovery of a new kind of fish, or
earthworm; and should interest Berkeley
more than the evolution of a three-toed
crab. And if it does, why, may 1 ask,
have they not carried out the experiments
submitted to them eight months ago?
Why should they allow other universities
to take from them the high honor which
will rebound to those who are first to
verify these important facts? 1t is we'll
known principle in dynamical science
that the resultant, in amount and direc-
ton, of two transverse velocities, forces
momenta, is represented by the diagonal
of the parellelogram of which the adjacent
sides represent the velocities, forces, etc.
Now, that is also held true of energies,
DuL, DIS l. nave dlISduy SdIQ anu L nave
shown in the pamphlet, the resultant OF
two transverse energies is represented IN
direction by a curvilinear line, not a
straight line. To person running Tor his
life or to those engaged in the struggle Tor
existence such fact would appear OF no
value. But to the scientist such TACT IS
pregnant with life; it is a hitherto undls-
covered law in the universe, and what 1t
will lead to is as yet complete mystery
to the human race. 1t seems to upset the
very first and most fundamental law OF
motion, but the beauty of 1t is that 1t does
not. 1t simply introduces kinetic sta
bility, which not only fulflls the law, but
also overcomes it by another and greater
law, and becomes thereby law unto itself,
and so appears TO the world as nineteenth
century wonder, and | can safely predict
that this kinetic stability will in the near
future give to scientists much greater
shock than Foucaults gyroscope did.
Let US now try to explain how klnetic
stability overcomes the first law of motion
without actually breaking it We all
know that matter in motion has velocity,
and velocity is what is generally called
speed. If a car is going eight miles an
hour we call that it's speed. When
pulley is going at a certain speed we say 1t
is making a certain number of revolutions
per minute, or per second or whatever
may be the unit time agreed upon; the
unit in itself counts for nothing; its adop-
Won 10 Lie SPcSQ AS Iuo pOI-
tant matter; it is the speed which utilizes
the power and does the work. The unit
does no mechanical work; although we
might trace it through an infinite series of
mental metamorphoses, yet we are certain
it does no mechanical work. Nor does
speed or velocity in itself do mechanical
work. Whatever spiritual energy it has
we are certain of this, that it cannot do the
infnitesimal part of a foot-pound of work.
At least we are not in position at present
to prove that spiritual energy can do me-
chauical work.
To make our meaning clear, if instead of
an actual pulley or car we put an imagin-
airy one in their place, we can still imagine
that imaginary body to be moving with
speed or velocity. For instance, ray of
light moves with enormous speed or We
locity, and yet it is only an imaginary
body, which the mental vision gives the
appearance of reality.
Let us, then, consider an imaginary car
moving with great speed or uniform veloc-
ity along a straight and level track, ALB.