Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-12
SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS.

A monthly magazine called THE
Procession has been started at Los
Angeles. II is devoted to science. The
first issue contains a number Of
thoughtful and interesting articles on
solar influences, the properties Of light
, and electricity, and in support OF t he
theory Of the Procession OF Planets.
Briefly stated this theory Is that mat
ter is kept in ceaseless motion by two
great forces, the force Of heat and the
force OF gravity. II is claimed that:
Heat Is the expanding force or life OF
matter and gravity Is the contracting
force. or death Of matter, and all motion
is caused by the expanding and con-
treating Of matter The sun n the vital
or central engine or point In our solar
system, which matter Is expanded by
the heat caused by chemical dissolution
OF matter which the force OF gravity
has returned 10 It, and from that great
center expanded matter (Which must
have ROOM fills the whole solar sys-
TEN with this fluid, which Is electricity
and light"
The idea generally entertained BY
prominent scientists. that there is no
substance in light or electricity, Il
combated In this new theory. And in
support Of the argument to the con-
trary, II is stated that rays Of light
have been discovered by eminent saw
ants. which are composed OF mineral
that can be attracted by a magnet.
'The Procession" contends that light
and electricity are composed OF the in
visible vapor Of dsintegated matter.
released by heat from solid or elemen
tary matter, which by the force Of
gravity returns to the sun" The fol-
lowing, relating TO this subject, is
clipped by that magazine from Free
DOM" and Is interesting to students OF
the forces OF the universe and OF the
origin Of light and life:
''The time Is rather TO be reekoned
by months than years since the world
was made acquainted with the So
called radioactive substances which, In
opposition 10 all precedent. seem 10 be
striving 10 tear themselves TO pieces.
II was a. Becquerel who began this
series OF discoveries four years ago.
when he fould that the rare metal
uranium and It's compounds possess the
property Of emitting rays differing from
the celebrated X-rays OF Professor
Roentgen. but capable. like them, OF
impressing a Photographic plate The
marvel about these rays was that they
needed no excitation In order 20 mani
fest themselves II was not necessary
10 apply an electric current or 20 have
an apparatus OF any kind; simply put
the Photographic plate near the uran-
ium and the thing was done. The mys-
terlous radiation was inccssant, al
though invisible II was capable OF
traversing black paper on thin sections
Of metal Ii was more ineXplicable
than the N-rays. because Il seemed u
rise without a cause.
AT this point Nine. Curie and hen
husband took up the investigation. and
soon discovered that there were sub
stances. whose existence had never
been suspected, which possessed the
same strange activity, but thousand
fold greater than In the case Of
uranium One OF these substances, cX.
tracted from pitch blende. they called
'polonium' Another received the name
Of radium.' and n third that OF 'ac-
tiuium' These substances which exis'
IN extremely small quantities. mixed
with various minerals, all emit invisi-
BILE rays Of surprising Photographic
penetratlve power. No energy has Il
be employed to develop them. II thes
were luminous they might light ou'
cities without expense, provided that 9
sufficient quantity OF radium. polonium
etc. could be obtained.
Now what are these mysteriou
raysf A complete answer TO that ques
ton Is what Nine. Cure and her asso
ciates--for many are now working