Evening star., 1902-03-15
SCIENTIFIC PROPHECY
MAN WILL REACH OUT HIS
HANDS AMONG THE STARS.
Sir Robert Balls Theory That Another
Ice Age Will Come Upon
the Earth.

From the American Inventor
AS prophet Is honored everywhere save
in his own land. so are the various
scientific representations OF the present
day received with more credulity every
| where than in the world Of science. Never
theless. men OF knowledge In various and
special lines are devoting more and more
OF their time to consideration Of those
factors which govern future life and con-
ditions, and science is lending a more and
more ready ear to the resulting prophecies.
Sir Robert Ball has solemnly stated his
belief in the probability Of the earth un-
dergoing another ice age. He bases his
| statements on observations made OF the
planets whose influence effects the course
OF the earths orbit.
Fire or Water2
1t is generally believed that when. In the
course of aeons and aeons Of time, the earth
comes to an end, 1t will be by means or
fire rather than water. Such a phenome-
non could be caused by simple read
5ustment Of the atoms In the water of the
earth, or a slight difference in the force
OF cohesion. 1t is thought that the i'm
mense plants and animals which were
known to exist in prehistoric times were
due to different atmospheric condition.
as. for instance. a larger proportion OF
Jay gen III the dlT tNdn eXlStS at present.
Mr.. H. G. Wells. the distinguished writer
OF nctton and a scientist of note has re-
Gently prophesied that many Of the laws
or nature at present understood and be-
lieved to be fundamental will In a large
measure be found in the future to be
merely the result of temporary conditions,
and. most stupendous of comprehension of
all the startling predictions made, that
man Is not the final and highest manifesto
ton Of animal Life on the earth: that the
scheme OF evolution Is not yet finished, and
that the human race is on the eve of
great change which will in some thou
tngs radically different from the human
animal-a race which possess in full the
powers Of which we now only dream.
Mans Upward Growth.
In his recent lecture before the Royal So
ciety Of London he said in closing:
I'VE are at the beginning Of the greatest
change that humanity has ever undergone.
There will be no shock, as there is no shock
at cloudy daybreak. We are creatures of
twilight, but out of our minds and the
liEeage of our minds will spring minds that
will reach forward fearlessly. A day will
cone-One day in the unfeignng succession
of Gays-when the beings now latent in our
thoughts. hidden in our loins, shall stand on
this earth as one stands on a footstool and
laugh and reach out their hands among the
stars"
Speculative? Yes but upheld by more
facts than could be enumerated in MANY
volumes. and Professionally believed In by
every scientific man of note the world
over. What Is there against such a con-
tinuance of the scheme of evolution, except
the overweening conceit Of mankind? What
Is there unreasonable in the idea of race
of beings which shall possess the power to
do and be all that are in dreams, a
race as transcendentally beautiful happy
and wise as are the angels Of orthodoxy
a race which shall reach out their hands
among the Stars?"
The absolute element. the absolute force
the absolute zero. and the understanding Of
the fourth dimension and how to use it
when these are everyday facts. who CIR.
say that we will not be in direct communi-
cation with the planets and their inha bit
ants and that the universe will not have
grown small even as the steam engine, and
the telegraph. and the telephone have mar
rowed the confines Of the earth?