Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15
IF ONLY WE HAD
KEENER SENSES

InF course every enc knows by now that
- everything we hear or see comes in a
wave motion. But it is not so well known
that there are great many waves that we
cannot detect at all by means of any of our
senses, and presumably great many more
| that we have never been able to detect even
artihcially.
Take ether waves, for instance We know
that those of a certain length are heat
waves: they can be felt. but not seen.
Shorter ones are light waves, from the long
red to the short violet. Even shorter ones
are what are known as the ultraviolet, and
these have to be detected artifcially, by the
taking of picture in the dark. Even shorter
ones are the x rays, which are invisible.
Much longer ones than the longest heat wave
are the electric waves of wireless biography.
Now remember that all the waves specified
differ in only one particular of length.
We cannot conceive of there being only
waves of these wave lengths taking place in
the ether: there must be waves of nearly all
lengths, from the trillionth of an inch to
many miles. We know that other media may
have waves of various lengths going through
them at the same time. The question is how
to detect these other waves, and what effect
they have in nature. If our bodies had bet
ter sense organs or more in number, it is
we should have. If the eye, for instance,
could perceive a shorter wave length than
the color violet and longer than the color
red, we should have numerous and beautiful
colors added to the list. If we could detect
still longer ones than the infrared, each one
of US would be receiving wireless station,
and could get all the messages sent out with
out other apparatus than our eyes. It
would simply be a flash of light of a hitherto
unknown color appearing and disappearing
in the sky. We could see it, however, even
if it appeared behind US, as the electric wave
goes through bodies; so convenient added
vision would be ours. If we could actually
see the x rays, we should need no platino-
bariuI1- cyanide screen to look through to
see the bones in our hands under the raw, as
we do at present.
If the ear was more delicate and our brains
more sensitive, we could perceive the thou
sand and one wave lengths made in the air
around US, of which we now are unconscious.
The rapid vibration of an insects wing
would probably furnish US with even more
eery music than the mosquitoes song. The
wind as it blows across wide meadow
would give US basso unheard at present
The soft falling of snow would make the
softest and most beautiful music to our
senses. It would be like whisper in its
lowness; but would be rather high pitched,
like japanese tinkle mile away. The
falling Of the rain would be louder and even
more high pitched. Our very electric lights,
run by an alternating current and conse-
quent1y getting DINNER and brighter hun
bred times second, would cause sound
waves of low pitch and low amplitude in the
air, but would give known musical note.
| If our sense of touch was more delicate,
we could feel the roughnesses along the sur
face of the smoothest nirror-for it has
them. We should be able to detect small
particles in the air that now brush us by I'M
consciously. The breeze on our cheek would
feel like so many tiny balls of paper rushing
and rafting by. The body would feel every
thread of the texture of the garments cover
ing it. Some of these things, of course, would
not be pleasant until we got used to them.
| 1t is the idea of some philosophers that an
actual heaven would be an increase in Our
perceptions and senses to an enormous pow
er; for then we should certainly live in
different world, one far surprising in knowl-
edge and pleasure and power the one we
live in-and yet it would be actually the
same world, the difference being simply in
our power to cognize it. A. L. Hodges.