Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-01
SCIENTISTS CHANGE VIEWS

Nothing is more certain than the uh'
certainty OF many scientihc theot'oS'
They are formed TO explain Known
facts hut IL very often happens tha'
as soon as they have obtained curreh'
cv. other facts are discovered whleh
unset the old theories and necessltale
their modification. or ehtire recon-
struction.
we nre again reminded of this by
a newspaper statement to the ehee'
that scientists are about to ABANDON
,he so-called nebular hypothesis as an
entirely unsatisfactory attempt at eA
plaining the creation of worlds Ac'
cordIng to an article in the Maroon
the University of Chicago paper. ne"
theory has been accepted as more SAL
isfactory by members OF the geology
and astronomy departments of that in
stitute of learning
The nebular hypothesis supposes that
our sun at one time was a stupendous
cioud extending to the vast distances
In which the most remote planets move
This nebulous mass rotated, and as IL
cooled off IL contracted towards the
center. But as 1t contracted, the ro-
tation became more rapid. and finally
the outer part of the mass was thrown
off. This portion separated from the
rest, condensed and formed planets ana
satellites, while the central mass be
came a sun. The theory has very
generally been accepted as the best
one offered, though there have always
been doubters.
The new theory. as explained b"
Prof. Salisbury In an address before the
College of Philosophy, states that the
earth was formed from the collecting
together In space Of the masses of mat
ter cast off by collisions of heavenly
bodies, the larger attracting the small
err. and the mass constantly growing
The tremendous pressure of gravity,
which is being constantly increased by
this growth, accounts for the heat a
the center of the earth; in fact. ac-
counts for tremendously greater heat
than would be possible by the claim or
the nebular theory.
The growth of the earth in this man
ner to any considerable extent has
ceased millions OF years ago, the Pro-
lessor said, although millions of small
meteoric bodies are constantly falling
upon the earth The compression OF
the material at the center causing great
heat also causes the elements TO form
new compounds, which, of course, VIII
be denser, and therefore occupy less
space. 1t is thus that the formation
of smaller masses at the center leaves
and It must wrinkle and warp, ac-
counting for the earthquakes, noun
tains, and SO on
When the earth became large enough
10 hold water vapor in its atmosphere,
life, as we understand 1t, became pos
sible and this condition probably be-
gan hundreds of millions of years
back.
This Is the new theory. 1t regards
matter MS e.. tent in space, in chao-
tic, scattered condition, and the forma-
ton OF worlds as the result of the oper-
alton of the laws of nature whereby
suns and planets after being broken up
are again reformed into new globes.
This theory certainly is more in ac-
cordance with the views expressed by
Iatter-day Saints and founded on the
Scriptures A modification OF the
theories concerning tho duration of the
geological ages would seem to follow
from the abandonment of the nebular
hypothesis
The present status OF the Interior
of the earth is another question that
must be reconsidered. when the new
theory is accepted Is the earth a
molten fluid upon which floats thin
solid she'll? Lord Kelvin always de-
MED this. The story Is told that he, on
one occasion, to prove his contention
that the interior OF the earth must be
solid, took two eggs, one hard boiled
and the other raw and, suspending
them by cords, spun them In imitation
OF the earth's rotation. IN very short
while the raw egg lost its momentum
and came to rest while the boiled one
went on spinning mcrrily FOR quite o
long while. From this he argued that II
the earth had liquid core it would
have come to AN end long ago.
As we have said theories change,
Scientists shift ground as they receive
new light And the lesson OF IL all Is
that man, Notwithstanding all his
achievements, is dependent upon a
higher wisdom than his own, for thar
knowledge which does not pass away
Left 10 himself he Is cropping about
slowly finding his way, stumbling Oven
obstacles and falling into hidden pits
He needs the light OF revelation ever
ia his scientific researches,