The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-11
SEER FLAYS
SKEPT|CS OF SCIENCE
Continued from Page one.)

Continued from rage One-)
is always necessary. great mass Of hui
man activity, and limiting ourselves to
a scrutiny on tho one side OF pure
science alone. let us ask what, In the
main, is the characteristic OF the prom
ising, though perturbing period In
which VIC live Different persons would
give different answers. but the answer
/ venture to give is-rapld progress,
combined with fundamental sEept'-
cism.f'
Sir Oliver explained by fundamental
skepticism that he did not mean the
"wcll worn and almost antique theme
of theological skepticism.' That con
trovcr3y was practically in allegiance
just now,
'In physiology the conflict ranges
round vitaIism, he said. In chem
istry the debate concerns atomic struc
ture. In biology the dispute is on the
laws of inheritance, In economic and
political science or sociology, What Is
there that is not under discusslonf In
the vast group of mathematical ana
concerns what, il had TO express 1t In
one word, should call continuity
Where Science Fails.
PHILOSOPHERS have begun to question
some Of the larger generalizations OF
science. Not by philosophers only, but
by scientific nen also, ancient postn'
lates are being pulled up by the roots,
''In most parts of physics, simplicity
has sooner or later to give place to com
plexity; though certainly | urge that
The Simple laws were true. The law is
not really disobeyed but is modified
though the action of known addi-
tioual cause, Hence it is all in the
direction of progress,
''If we had to summarize the nam
trend of physical controversy at pres
cnt, | feel inclined to urge that 1T large
ly turns on the question as to which
way ultimate victory lies in the fight
between continuity and discontinuity.
Sir Oliver then discussed the atomic
theory. which. he said, Knight be cx'
pressed as an invasion Of number into
unsuspected regions and also the con
troversal topic of the principles of rel
ativity. of that principle IN an ex-
treme sense establishes itself, he said
cit would seem as if even time would
become discontinuous and be supplied
in atoms. as money is dolcd out in pence
or centimes instead Of contlnuously-in
which case our customary eXistences
will turn out to be no more really con
tipuous than the events on cinemato
graph screen-while that great agent
of continuity. the Ether of Space, will
be relegated to the museum of hIstori
cal curiosities.
"The Ether Of Space is at least the
great engine of continuity, II may bt
much more. for without it there could
hardly be a material universe at all.
90 hold that science is incompetent
to make comprehensive denials, ever
about the ether, and that it goes wrong
when it makes the attempt
This led the speaker to the arguments
| that concluded with his utterances con
corning life after death Attacking th'
school of arbitrary scientists who at
tempt to account for all things by pre-
else scientific laws, he said;
They account for things up TO a
| point, But do they account for
everything completely' Do they ac.
count for our own feeling of JOY
and exaltation, for our sense Of
beauty. for the manifest beauty ex-
isting throughout nature2 Do not
these things suggest something
higher and nobler and more joy
Gus, something for the sake of
which all the struggle for existence
goes ONT