New-York tribune., 1905-07-03
PROFESSOR RuRKEs aRApIoBEs.r

Those of our regular readers whose curiosity
has been excited by the brief announcements
previously made in regard to Professor Burke S
researches at Cambridge must have found the
account Of them by our London correspondent
printed yesterday extremely fascinating and
instructive. 1t supplied details for which many
have been waiting eagerly. The testimony
which 1t bears to the standing Of Professor
Burke for instance, confirms the opinion ex-
pressed In these columns week or more ago,
that his work deserves the most respectful con-
sideration The simple fact that such leaderssn
science as Lord Kelvin and Professor ]. j.
Thomson have faith In his character and capac-
ity. while it is not verdict on the Young
Irishmans experiments themselves, indicates
his title to a hearing.
Mr. For1's statement that Professor Burke
has become "the most talked Of man of science
in the United Kingdom is easy to understand
The problem with which the Cambridge nvesu-
gator is wrestling has a greater fascination Tor
the popular mind, and bears more important
relation to philosophic thought, than Sir Will
lam Ramsay's and J. J. Thomsons suggestive
revelations The new theory of the compost
ton of an atom and the possibility that one
element may be transmitted into another relate
ONLY to the nature of inanimate matter. A hint
that life may spring out Of the latter without
the exercise of will or intelligence is vastly
more startling Darwin created profound SEN
sation when he insisted that all the higher forms
of lfe including mankind, had been evolved
from the simplest and most primitive, but he
never ventured to affirm that life came into
being without germs or parentage. Hence
when biologists or physicists-Loeb belongs to
the former class and Burke to the latter-fnd
any reason to suspect that life has been and
can be developed in another way, the public is
sure to be greatly stirred Moreover, there is
a need proportionate to this effect Of subject
ing their methods and conclusions 10 those
tests which have always been applied to all
other alleged discoveries, in order to determine
their soundness.
A function invariably performed by all forms
OF life hitherto observed, high and low, veg
etable and animal, is that Of reproduction.
Having noticed certain other traits possessed
by his ''radiobes" which encourage belief that
they may be living bodies, Professor Burke is
now seeking to ascertain whether or not they
multiply. Our London correspondent says that
'he is hoping TO" prove that they do. If, as is
probable, that statement represents the present
stage OF the investigation, it looks as If Pro
fessor Burke had not yet become fully con-
vinced that he is dealing with living creatures.
Two things still remain TO be done, therefore.
He needs, first OF all, TO carry his Investigations
far enough to satisfy himself thoroughly. He
ought then TO adopt the necessary measures 10
convince the world. In other words, he should
invite independent verifcation from competent
experts. The same materials and processes
employed by him ought to give the same re-
suits in other hands. II they do and If the
products which are thus obtained can be propa-
gated in continuous succession, generation after
generation. ii will look as if the Interpretation
which Professor Burke is inclined to put on his
work were correct If persons properly quail
fed To make the test cannot secure unmistakable
signs OF life, the inference must be that there
was an undetected error in the original expert
ments. Professor Burke Is privileged to take