Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28
NEW THEORY OF SUN
HABITABLE PLANET GKNERAT-
ING HEAT AND LIGHT.
Electric Processes An Explanation
Supplied for Unconvincing Theo-
ries and Astronomy.


Some twenty years ago that genial IRISH
man and very distinguished physician. the
late DR.. John TyndaH. wrote an admirable
essay on the scientific use of the imagin-
alive faculty. pointing out how many great
truths. which strict scientific method had
failed to discover. had been OWNED by the
imagination. Mr.. George w. Warder. q
man of many activities. seems to have
laid to heart the lesson Of this essay. Not
satisfied with the theory of the solar sys-
tenn which has been commonly accepted
for many generations. he has let loose his
Imagination in search of something newer
and more romantic. And this is what he
has found: That the sun Is not a molten
or even hot body. not "a fluid haze Of
light" but cool and pleasant world
perhaps heaven-which generates enough
electricity to supply heat and light to the
whole solar system: that this electricity
Is sent to the planets by sort of ethereal
transmission: that 1t Is not converted into
heat and light till 1t comes into contact
with the opposite electric forces Of the
planets; and that It draws back from the
latter to itself such planetary electricity
as it needs to perpetuate its status and
functions. With the exercise of great in
dustry and considerable scientific knowl-
edge, Mr.. Warder proceeds, in a book he
has had the enterprise to publish privately
and IN periodical article, to apply his
theory and to measure it against facts
And 1t must be confessed that it stands
the test very well. Indeed, 1T seems to
afford explanation of many phenomena
which the accepted theories explain but
unconvincingly or only envelope In deeper
mystery.
The Nebular Hypothesis
True, MT. Warder's discovery Is only a
theory; but the nebuiar hypothesis and its
corollaries are nothing more. and, theory
Mr.
able of holding its own. True, too, the au-
thor of the new idea is not a strict SCI
entist-despite his considerable scientific
knowledge; he is not likely to gain the
entire confidence of the thinking world,
for he has habit Of making dogmatic
assertions without feeling called upon to
adduce even theoretical proofs of their
truth. and of letting his Imagination carry
him into idealistic regions where the SCI
entific and philosophic mind cannot bear
him company. But when this is said. it
must be admitted that he has furnished
the astronomical scientists with a very
interesting theorem to work on, to prove
or disprove.
If they should succeed in demonstrating
the truth of the general idea the import
ance of the result attained by Mr.. Warder's
scientific use Of his Imagination would be
very great. 1t cannot really matter. the
believe the sun to be a molten body. evolv-
Ing heat and Hght-as we have hitherto
supposed-or a cool body transmitting to
the solar worlds continual currents of
electricity. which are convertible into heat
and light by contact with the electric fluids
OF planetary atmospheres.
Not Burning Starr
But it really does matter a great deal at
any rate. to thinking people. for our whole
psychological attitude toward life is modi-
fled by our scientific conceptions The old
theory that the sun Is burning star, an
incandescent gaseous sphere, has long fur
nished the pessimists with one of their
strongest. most irrefutable arguments. Ev-
erything Is fieeting and futile, they say:
IN few hundreds or few thousands of
years the sun will have burnt itself out
the planets will be frozen up, all life will
be extinct; vanity Of vanities. all is vanity
Not so. now replies the electric theory; the
solar body renews and will renew itself
perpetually. .-..-s
II Mr., Warder's idea is correct, there
is going on a ceaseless Interchange of solar
and terrestrial fluids. Perhaps even, every
atom of the earth. including our own per-
sonal substance and essence has been in
the sun and will return to 1t. Mr. Warder
says this Is so: we prefer to say-perhaps.