The sun., 1908-08-09

Of hilarity. II is certain that In later years
the Dilettanti Society has performed very
great services to the cause OF art. Upon
these, however, Sir Spencer Walpole does
not enter at any length. the purpose OF his
essay being to trace the history and CON
stitution OF five dining societies which
are eminent for the names OF those who have
belonged to them or for the abilities and
social charms Of their present mernbers.
NJ. w. III.
Lord Kelvin.
It is not 90 much q biography In the
ordinary sense Of the word a. An account
by q competent student Of the subjects
scientifo Life and work that We have In
the volume Of more than three hundred
pages entitled Lord Kslvia, BY ANpnEw
GAAx, LII. D., professor Of Natural Philoso-
ply In the University OF Glasgow (k. r.
Dutton 4 Coz. The author has been
pupil and assistant OF Lord Kelvin. and his
aim In this book ID to explain TO the general
reader who takes an interest In physical
science and its applications the nature OF
his subjects discoveries and inventions.
Only such O recital Of biographical facts
as seems in harmony with this purpose 10
attempted. The record ID brought down
TO December 10, 1907, when tho most illus-
trious Of Englapd's natural philosophers
einoe Sir Isaac Newton passed away, to be
inferred i've days later In Westminster
Abbey. Close beside Newton was laid
the man who during Q long life toiIed TO
promote our knowledge Of nature and who
a. hero Of peaoe served well his country
and mankind. Yet, Ike Newton, he had
- kh> ahnxn ~ thA
ocean Of truth and here and there sounded
ita accessible depths. while IT. INFINITE e1-
panss and remote receeses remained un-
Explored.
william Thomson. the future Lord Kelvin.
was born on June 10. 1894, the son OF James
Thomson, North Of Ireland man. who In
1915 was chosen professor Of mathematios
In the Royal Aoademioal Institution OF
Belfast and who In 1852 became professor
Of mathematics In Glasgow University.
The boy Williams early education was
carefully superintended by his father, and
In 1884. at the age Of 10. he entered the
most elementary of the university GLASSES.
He repeatedly took prizes In mathematics
and natural philosophy. and in the academic
year 1sss-ss he gained the GLASS prize In
astronomy and.a university medal FOR an
essay on the figure Of the earth. In 1870 II
he figured as fifth prize man In the senior
humanity class. William Thomsons fret
original paper, son Fourisr's Expansions
Of Functions In Trigonometrical Series
was published In the Cambridge Xathsmat-
ical Journol In May. l84i. Nearly dozen
papers, most of them on the motion Of heat.
appeared in the Same periodical between
ls41 and lsls and dealt with important
topics suggested by Fourier's treatise
Two other works In his fathers collection
Of mathematical books. Laplace's NtcaniqIs
Celssts and Lagrange's MeeaaiQus Ana-
lutiqus, seem also 10 have bean read about
this time and to have made deep impress
sion on the mind Of tho youthful philos-
.opher. Do Morgan's sDi6erential and In
tegral Calculus was also favorite book
Of William Thomson's In his student days
at GlasKow and later while he was at Cam
bridke, and he delighted 10 pore over its
pages wheu the work Of the day was over. .
At the age Of IT William Thomson entered
st. Peters College. Cambridge October.
1917, and began the course Of study then
prescribed for mathematical honors. He
naturally read for the mathematical xipos,
but obtained only the second wrsnglership,
although one Of tho examiners said to
his colleague: "You and I arc just about
At to mend his rThomson'sl pens.' Shortly
afterward, however. he became Smiths
pri1eman. an honor which was generally
regarded a. q better test Of original ability
than the tripos. Soon after the tripos
and Smiths prize examinations were over
Thomson went to London and visited
Faraday In the latters laboratory IN the
Royal Institution. after .hich he went on
to Paris and spent the summer working
In Regnault's famous laboratory. making
the acquaintance Of Liouville, Sturm,
Chasles and other French mathematicians
OF the time and attending meetings Of the
Academic des Sciences. To this visit to
Paris Thomson often referred In later life
with admiration Of Regnaults wonderful
experimental skill. and his own initiation
at this time into laboratory work bore
fruit In the establishment Of the Glasgow
Physical Laboratory. o..
On September IL. 1ste. the faculty Of
Glasgow University appointed William
Thomson, who was then "a years old. pro-
fessor Of natural philosophy. The young
professor thus entered on his life work as
q teacher, investigator and inventor. We |
say life work. because for fifty three years |
he continued to OCCUPY the Office. It Is
not easy for q physicist Of the present day |
to realize the state Of knowledge Of the time |
Or TO comprehend how crude and primitive |
was ths apparatus at the disposal Of re-
search In the Glasgow Of 1885, He often |
Fails. therefore. to recognise the full I'M |
portancs Of Thomson's early work. In |
The hrst years OF his professorship Thom-
son taught his GLASS entirely himself. and |
around him an enthusiastic band |
Of students, who aided him In the investi- |
cations which he began on the electro |
dynamic qualities Of metals. the elastic |
properties Of substances. the thermal and |
slsctrio oonductivities Of metals and at q
later date IN the electric and magnetic rs-
,ssrchss which he undertook a. member
Of the British Association Committee on
Electrical Standards. Thomson alwaysa
held that his commission included ths
subjeot Of physical astronomy. and. though