New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-22
RADlUN AND THE E4RTHS AGE

Until the full text of Professor RutherfOrds
talk last week reaches this country from Lon
don it will be hard 10 judge Of the soundness OF
the rather startling views which he advanced.
II may be true. as he seems 10 believe, that the
chief source Of the warmth which the earth
has possessed and still possesses is the radium
which il has contained. He may be correct in
inferring that the tine required for the globe
10 reach its present temperature-whichi is low
ca:npared with that of other celestial bodies
WIS very much shorter than other learned men
have imagined. Before even provisional esti-
mate Of the accuracy Of either conclusion is
made, however. two facts ought 10 be cOnsid-
cred. Professor rutherford has done some good
work in revealing the nature of the radiations
from the element which has given TO the CURES
y worldwide fame. lie has thus earned the
reputation of careful observer and reporter,
hut he has not yet demonstrated his fitness 10
interpret new phenomena He cannot yet be
ranked as n philosopher. Again, though the
theories against which he arrays himself have
not been fully established, they supported
by variety and amount Of evidence which
cannot be disregarded. So long as the uniniti-
nted are obliged 10 choose between probabili-
ties, they would do well 10 favor the convictions
of the larger number OF experts.
Lord Kelvin attempted many years ago TO get
an approximate indication OF the time which
60 sustain animal and vegetable life The
basis Of his calculation was the rate at which
many Of the most common kinds Of rock radate
heat when tested In a laboratory 1t did not
seem 10 him probable that the interval could
exceed twenty million years. while it might
have been considerably less. Other authorities
were disposed 10 think that Lord Kelvin's maxi
mum estimate was too small An important
factor In any such computation OF course
would be the temperature which was adopted
as the starting point. The lower this standard
the sooner would the requisite degree of COOL
ness be attained. To inyalidate Lord Kelyin's
logic, therefore, il is necessary 10 show that the
astronomers are mistaken in assuming that the
earth has close kinship with the sun and at
one time was equally hot Perhaps the astron-
onlers are wrong, bat one should hesitate 20 he
neve so without good reason
OF the time which has elapsed since life made
It's appearance on the globe il is possible 10
make a guess from another class Of testimony.
biologists suspect that the fossils found in the
earths crust have some bearing on the question.
rliey interpret the general arrangement of tbesa
remains as meaning that the higher and later
forms We're developed from the earlier and
more rudimentnEy ones. How long that process
has been going On they cannot saw with Ger
tasnty. Still, few Of them are satisfied with
less than one hundred million years. and the ma
5oFily o. them want even more Moreoyer the
Eeoioglsls though not entirely agreed, generally
incline 70 the supposltion that something like
That interYai-or much longer one-was neces-
sary 10 permit the formation of those strata or
rock which have been laid down since the oldest
fossils were deposited. Finally. until n cooa
reason for thinking otherwise Is offered. If Is
reasonable 10 assume that the rate of cooIlrc
ias been practically uniform from the tipt
wien the earth reached its maximum tempers.