Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-08
What Variable Stars Prove.

Variable stars seem to be certain proof
that celestial systems which have ad-
| vanced to the point Of having q resolute
focus Of energy. or a sun, also have plane
tary bodies in revolution about their
focii. To just what condition Of habita-
| bility such planets have arrived we have
no means Of knowing. Nor is 1t. neces-
! sary to assume human" habitation. BY
this mean intelligent beings possessing a
psychlcally endowed physical body SINH
lar to ours. Physical and psychical intel
ligence need not be confined to human
struture. Nor need We resort to any
such gargoylian creatures as suffering
Mars is sometimes peopled with by the
f1ctionists Intelligent beings might live
and have their being without the posses
sion Of digestive tract. and II 1t is pos
sible for finite intelligence to conceive a
superlative animal creature, in season
ally balanced world, where the chemical
functions Of nutrition could be performed
by inspiration and respiration: where the
skins, entrails and hair Of other impsy-
chical animals are not constituent OF
modest adornment; where housing is not
an essential and boarding is futile; where
one type OF animal does not exist by de-
vouring another lower type-if this can be
conceived by a human being as possible
state, who Is rash enough to deny that 1t
is impossible to Inffnity?
The great trouble with all human specu-
lation IL that it tries to make all things
conform to its standard. to make al! suns
like its sun. all worlds like It's world. all
satellites like it's moon and all intelligent
beings like mankind. Its average point of
view is much like that Of the rustic. who,
after observing q dr0medary. amazedly,
such beast!' It is q curious effect Of hu-
man egotism that those who attempt to
er1body their ideas Of the inhabitants Of
other worlds. particularly Mars and We
nus, invariably choose as their model the
= I m
to decry humanity. The lowliest and
most humble Of the race is q wonderful
creature, but to assume thae humanity
represents the ultimate OF animal crea-
cradle attempt to limit the power OF the
Infinite.
Five Million Worlds.
Sir John Herschel estimated that the
,,.,h,a ,,r;verse contained not less than
a,,v r,,,Iions Of stars. Others have placed
49,. estimate ut Ave hundred millions
IYs,nr Herschers estimate and assuming
.hnt AZ these stars-these suns-oniy one
tanth are in equal development to our
o,vr arr. and assuming that each Of these
SIMS has. as our sun has, at least one
irhabited planet, we would have ave mil
lion worlds At for hanttAtaon. II we ind
.s,ch variation In the human race al we
~. Az AIR own planet are we not justified
IL ssauYnine a. great variation in what
we may call the cosmic race? And what
we.ns have we Of knowing the precise
ncsition OF the human race in that CO.
Iossal scale Of creation?
TO the variable stars We are indebted
more than merely for q beautiful spec
tacis TO them we owe confirmation OF
the theory that planets revolve about
o1ner suns than ours. This confirmation
has led 70 the perception Of other truths.
ana Il does much to strengthen scientific
hsIief IN universal intelligent habitation,
even II humanity be removed from its
isolated station and reduced to the rank
Of a family rather than race. humanity
has not lost by the transaction. Tor IL
the psyci,ical essence IL az interchange
able as primal energy. to what heights
nav we not raciaiy, and possibly in-
divIduaiiy, rise under conditions more
perfect than those which obtain On
earth?'.