The Washington times., 1901-07-13
Ha. the rnirerse a Limit.

Prof. !. T. See has an interesting
article in the July number OF the AT
lantic Monthly in which article he
discusses the question of whether the
universe is infinite. OF course, this is
4 question which no finite wisdom can
solve with any certainty, because the
proofs. of necessity, lie far beyond the
bounds Of human powers Of observa-
tion. and consequently Of definite
knowledge. In dealing with II, we can
only surmise. and reason upon the basis
Of probabilities Therefore, however
interesting the investigation may be,
the conclusion must be doubtful and
unsatisfactory.
At the very outset, We are confront
ed By the perplexing query. What is
10 be considered the uniyerse?' When
the solar system is spoken Of, we all
know what is meant II is the sun
and everything that is directly sub
ject to the attractive power of the cen
tral body II includes not only the
planets and their satellites, but every
speck Of meteoric dust that floats with
in the range Of the suns attraction.
The fixed stars are supposed to be cen
tres OF other similar systems. and these
stars are much too numerous 10 be
counted. BY the naked eye, but few
thousand can be seen, but the most
powerful telescopes bring many mil
lions into view. In no direction Is
there any indication of a boundary line.
regular or irregular. beyond which
these shining bodies do not exist.
Even if there appeared TO be such a
boundary, it would be by no means
conclusive. The distances of the fixed
stars from US and from each other
vary greatly, the differences being so
vast in many cases as TO be almost be-
yond the grasp Of the human mind.
Hence. if by the aid Of a high power
telescope we could discern what ap-
peared 10 be a blank in space, We could
not be certain that it was anything
more than an unusually long distance
between stars. Nor could we tell now
many Opaque bodies might lie within
that space. any more than We can tell
how many there are in those parts Of
the heavens TO which our telescope
vision extends.
And this again brings up the ques-
tion, What is the universe?" We are
much in the habit of regarding the
term as covering merely the solar and
stellar systems. but in broader sense
the universe comprises everything that
IS in existence. So. if We could dis
cover what appeared to be the outer
boundary OF the star systems we would
still be completely in the dark as 10
what lay beyond. But no indication
Of any such boundary has ever been
found The invention of more power
fuI telescopes simply enables US TO see
more stars. Not only is there no
proof that even the starry portion of
the universe has limit. but so far as
there are any proofs bearing upon the
point, they are the other way.
The natural disposition Of the human
mind seems to be 10 reason thsc there
must be limit somewhere, This, how
ever. may easily be, because our own
minds are finite. and we are I'm the
habit of dealing with things which do
have limitations. We judge the uni
verse by our immediate surroundings.
Ii is hard for US to imagine anything
which extends in every direction in
terminably, but when we pause to con-
slider the matter thoughtfully, we find
Il still more difficult TO imagine a point
at which the universe ends and moth
ing" begins. Even the ether through
which the stars roll in their eternal
courses may not be. and probably can
not be, fairly termed nothing" What
It is, how far it extends, or what 1t con-
tains. are all far beyond our ken.
The human mind is a marvellous
thing and is capable Of extraordinary
development. But. after all, fits circum-
scribed environments limit its grasp.
1t might be capable Of solving the mys-
tery Of the universe IL the universe is
in fact limited, and our human appli-
ances were such as would enable us to
discover, with certainty, its boundary
lines. But until a limit is discovered,