The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-27

WORLDS IN THE MAKING; The Evo-
luton OF the Universe, BY SVante Ar
rhenus, Translated by Or II Borns
Published by Harper & Bros. New
York; Sl60, at Judd's
A book profound and Of deep interest
10 all, The theory advanced by the
gifted author Is new and startling ana I
is backed by strong reasoning and has
created Wide interest in the scientific
work from the plauslbility Of the argu-
ments advanced and the eminence OF
Arrhenius as q scholar, Even though
the setting forth Of the theory is large
ly and necessarily Of technical char
acter, It is yet OF great interest to the
general and non-sclentlflc seeker after
light and Information on a topic of tho
most profound character. lie differs
with the old and generally accepted
theory that "the great globe itself shall
be dissolved and pass away at no very
distant day He hold an optimistic view
OF the growth and stolidlty OF the uni
verse. He holds that the worlds are
self-sustaining from the principle or
the mechanical radiation pressure OF
llfe--that rays OF light falling upon a
surface tend to push that surface back
and no thus evolves new theory as
to world building. The theory of radi-
alton pressure has awakened much In
terest in recent days ana the author
applies It to matchmaking In con-
vincing way. 1.-THE problem Of the evo-
luton of the universe" writes the au-
thor, has always excited the profound
interest of thinking men. Different
ages have arrived at different solutions
TO this great problem. Each one has
reflected the standpoint of tho natural
philosophers Of its time. Let me hope
that the considerations that l offer Will
be worthy of the grand progress IN
physics and chemistry that has mark
ed the close of the nineteenth and the
opening of the twentieth century"
The authors new book Is largely
development of his star dust theory
as contained In his previous work. He
is no new arrival in the field OF the
scientific inquiry and his high reputa-
ton in that field was long since estab-
lished. He does not claim that the earth
is indestructible but puts its final
smash and wlnd-up myriads of years
away. Based on the newer discoveries
of radiant energy the Swedish scientist
holds that the sun Is likely to continue
in It's present energy--distributing con-
ditions for millions and even billions OF
years. Arrhenius holds that energy Is
degraded" In the suns, elevated to
q higher level in the nebulae. And to
the difficulties which arise from the
unending pull Of gravitatlon he OPP
poses new application of radiant
energy.
Thus his theory Is comforting to any
who may lie awake nights over the
fear that the worlds end Is near and
is disconcerting to those who look and
hope for a speedy ending of things ter
restial. The days of carbon as con-
trolling element In the permanence of
the solar system now are succeeded by
DAYS when radium dominates and the
human mind conceives of unknown
compounds of inconceivable energy.
Therefore oupr author argues that in
stead Of 1000 years as our suns limit
OF existence on the carbon combustion
theory. that luminary has on the ra-
dunn basis four thousand million years
more in which to dispense heat and
lfe-glving properties. 1t may perhaps
be many billions of years before the
great cataclysm occurs. Goodness and
death must IN the end come, but al
such a far-off period that the interna
elapsing seems an exceedingly ample
one for all at present. As to the prob
lem Of the extinction of the universe
the author holds that at last, after g.,
600, 900, 900 years--the sun must die. Thu
deatah of the sun he reads from thu
history Of our own planet. crust vii
form, volcanoes will release pent-uI
gases, oceans viii food the surface, bu
will quickly dn default of neighbor
ing source of heaD freeze over, tn
temperature will fall very low, new
oceans of condensed nitrogen and othe
gases will form, and the atmosphere
will consist mainly OF helium and ny
drogen. AS the crust thickens, heat vii
escape more and more slowly: In tn
interior the temperature will still be a
nearly the same actual intensity, some
thing like several million degrees, an
the compounds Of infinite explosive en-
ergy will be stored UP there as today
Like an immense dynamite magazine
the dark sun will float about In univer
sal space without wasting much of II
energy In the course Of billions 9
years" The heavens are full of sue
unseen dark suns, whose presence ca
now and then be detected by circun
stantial evidence, though no huma
eve can ever see them, for, IN spite
all our inventions all life will long be
fore have ceased on the satellites of IL
sun for want OF light and heat
Ultimately the sun-now out OF II
heat-giving business as 1t move
through infinite spaces Of time wi
meet another luminous or likewise e1
tinct star. The probability of such
collision Is proportional to the ang
under which the star appears--whic
though very small is not of zero mat
nitude-and to the velocity of the sun
The sun should collide with anoth
star Of similar kind In something ~
O hundred thousand billion years, B,
supposing that these are hundr'
times more extinct than lumino'
bodies--an assumption which is not VI
tustihable--the probable interval up
the next collision may be somethl'
like thousand billion years. The tin
during which the sun would be lumi
Gus would represent, say ten bllt
years. This conclusion does not look II
reasonable, for life has only been e
listing upon the earth for about
thousand million years, and this a
represents only small fraction of !
time during which the sun has EMIT
light and will continue to emit llgl