The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-07

principle which was incomprehensible
In its nature. For the physicist the
danger is no less serious though it lies
in a somewhat different direction. Al
present he is checked in his theories by
the necessity of making them agree
with comparatively small number oi
fundamental hypothesis. If this check
were removed, his fancy might run riot
in the widest speculations, which
would be held to be legitimate if only
they led to formulate in harmony with
facts.
But the very habit of regarding the
end as everything, and the means by
which it was attained as unimportant
would prevent the discovery of those
fragments of truth which can only be
uncovered by the painful process of
| trying to make inconsistent theories
agree, and using all facts, however re-
mote, as the tests of our central gene
radiation. Science" said Helmholtz,
Science whose very object it is to
! comprehend nature, must start with the
assumption that nature is comprehen-
/ sible.' And again: 1.-THE first princi-
| pie of the investigator of nature is to
assume that nature is ineligible to us,
since otherwise it would be foolish to
attempt the investigation at all"
| These aXions do not assume that all
the secrets of the universe will ulti-
! mately be laid bare, but that a search
for them is hopeless if we undertake
the quest with the conviction that it
will be in vain. AS applied to life,
they do not deny that in living matter
something may be hidden which Heith-
err physics nor chemistry can explain
but they assert that the action of phys
ical and chemical forces in living bod
les can never be understood if at every
difficulty and at every check in our in
vestigations we desist from further at
tempts, in the belief that the laws of
physics and chemistry have been in
terfered with by an incomprehensble
vital force. AS applied to physics and
chemistry, they do ret mean that all
the phan on.ena If life aui Geatb will
ultimately he included in Some simple
and sef sT.!icins n ecEanical theory;
they do mean that we are not to sit
down contented with paradoxes, such
as that the same thing can fill both a
large space and a little one; that mat
ter can act where it is not and the
like, if by some reasonable hypothesis,
capable of being tested by experiment,
we can avoid the acceptance of these
absurdities Something will have been
gained If the more obvious difficulties
are removed, even if we have to admit
that in the background there is much
that we cannot grasp.
The final section of the address the
president devoted to THE limits of
physical theories" He said: 1t Is a
mistake to treat physical theories in
general, and the atomic theory in par
ticular, as though they were parts Of a
ceheme which has failed If it leaves
anything unexplained, which must be
carried on indefinitely on exactly the
same principles, whether the ultimate
results are or are not repugnant to
common sense. Physical theories begin
at the surface with phenomena which
directly affect our senses. When they
are used in the attempt to penetrate
deeper into the secrets of nature it is
more than probable that they will meet
with insuperable barriers, but this fact
does not demonstrate that the funda-
mental assumptions are false, and the
question as to whether any particular
obstacle will be for ever insuperable
can rarely be answered with certainty
Those who beittle the ideas which have
of late governed the advance of sci
entific theory too often assume that
there Is no alternative between the OPP
posing assertions that atoms and the
ether are mere Pigments of the ecien-
tific imagination, or that, on the other
hand, mechanical theory of the at
oms and of the ether which is now con-
fessedly imperfect, would, If 1t could be (
perfected, give us a full and adequate
of the underlying reali- |
ties. For my own part l believe that |
there is q via media. A man peering |
into a darkened room and describing |
what he thinks he sees may be right as
to the general outline Of the objects he |
wrong as to their nature and
their precise forms. In his description
fact and fancy may be blended, and it
may be difficult to say where the one
ends and the other begrrs; but even the
'ancies will not be worthless if they
ire based on a fragment of truth, which |
Will prevent the explorer from walking
nto a looking glass or stumbling over
he furniture. He who saw linen as
.rees walking" had at least a percep-
ion of the fundamental fact that some
hing was In motion around him.
And so, at the beginning of the TWEEN
ieth century. we are neither forced to
lbandon the claim to have penetrated
below the surface of nature, nor have
We, with all our searching, torn the veil
If mystery from the world around us.
The range of our speculations is limi-
ed both in space and time-in space,
or we have no right to claim, as is
ometimes done, q knowledge of the
Infinite universe" in time, for the
effects of actions which
night pass undetected in the short
pan of years of which we have knowl-
dge, may, if continued long enough
Modify our most profound generalza-
ions. If some such theory as the vor-
eX-atom theory were true, the faintest
race of viscosity in the primordial me-
iun would ultimately destroy mat ter
f every kind. IT Is thus a duty to |
tate what we believe we know in the |
lost cautious terms, but it is equally .
uty not to yield to mere vague doubts !
S to whether we can know anything. |
{ no other conception Of matter Is
ossible than that it consists of distinct ,
hysical units-and no other conception
as been formulated which does not |
lur what are otherwise clear and def ,
lite outlines,-if it is certain, as it is, ,