The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-07-10
ENERGY IN ATOMS
Likened to Infinite Power In an
Infinitesimal Space.
EACH ONE IsA TINY WORLD.

EACH ONE IS TINY WORLD.
If All Should Burst Their Walls ut
Once the Universe Would Dissolve
In an lnstant-A Magic Force That
seisnos 10 Seeking to Control.
Do you remember when Aladdin
had, at last. got down into the cave
under the tree. what in~expressible mar
wells he found around him? But among
all the riches of the ave there was
only one little dust covered thing that
was really worth the risk be had run.
because it alone was truly novel and
unlike anything else in the ~world-the
necromantic lamp that had the genie
for its slave. With that in his posses
sion the poor boy was more powerful
than all the monarchs In the world
provided that be knew how to handle
the lamp. and that knowledge came to
him by accident.
have Just been bordering over some
statements by Jean Becquerel. the
French physicist. about the contents
Of the atoms of which matter Is COM
posed. and they have forcibly recalled
Aladdin's adventures to my mind. The
interior Of an atom ia q little world
Infinitely more marvellous than the
ave that contained the magic lamp.
and it ~conceals powers incomparably
greater than that Of Aladdin's good
genie.
To the scientific Imagination the in
side of an atom is inversely as won
drous as the starry heavens. 1t is in
finite power packed into inflnitesimat
space. That. of course. is an exag-
geratiOn; but this is a ase in which
q has to speak in imposing figures.
because the facts surpass all ordinary
experience.
The atom" says Jean Becquerel.
"fs a closed world. or almost closed.
and 1t is that fact which constitutes
its individuality"
This CLOSED world" of the atom is
SO small that If we could increase the
powers Of u microscopes a thou
sandfold we could not render 1t visible.
and vet that minnie speck of matter
incloses a "solar system al elaborate
as that Of the great sun with its
planets. and keeps lockedsup there an
energy 30 colossal that the plainest
statements Of fact that can be made
about It seem like wild dreams.
1.-THE emanation from radiuup'' "a
substance whose atoms spontaneously
give out at least a part Of their en-
ergyl lis capable Of liberating 100000
times more energy than the most VIC
lent chemical reaction KNOWN.
The world within the atom ordinarily
behaves as II It bad no concern with
the world outside. It ID sufacient.s unto
itself. 1t Is a little medieval China.
with closed ports and insurmountable
walls all round. Still, q very few atoms.
like those Of radium, have q tendency
to communicate with the outer world
by a kind Of explosion.
IT all atoms should burst their wallis
simultaneously the whole universe
would be dissolved In an instant.
The atoms that do disintegrate pass
from change to change. Within their
limits the foundations OF matter are
broken up; the distinctions Of the fun
damental elements are confounded;
things lose their nature and shift into
other things; uranium gives birth 10
radium and to poIonium iradinm brings
forth helium. and the last transf0rma-
ton Of pQlonium that has thus far. been
FobssF.ved1 y tnt~osaplalptlead!t II a66lltkkfa
transmigraton Of atomic souls.
But this fs not the only consequence
Of the opening of the world Of the
atom. That opening releases energy in
forms which we can recognize and
which some day perhape we may be
able to utilize. 3Rs-
Atomic energy is the magic lamp
that the Aladdin Of science has found
in natures secret cave.
One day Aladdin's mother found the
rusty lamp where be had cast It ,aside
az useless and thought that she wotild
polish It up. Instantly. at the nrst Wig.
OrOus rub. the slave Of the lamp STOOD
before her. ready to do her bidding!f
The Aladdin VI science has not
thrown his lamp aside. He knows 1t II
full Of. magic. He 10 sure that II be
RIBS 1t Alright the genie will appear be-
fore him. but he has not yet learned
the right stroke. And perhaps after all
1t will be with him az 1t was With the
other Aladdin-acrident will teach him
the set'ret. -
When that day comes. II ever It does.
there will hardly be any limit TO the
transforming power Of man over he
world be lives in.-Garrett p. ssrviss
In New York Journal.
Warnsd Against csagss.
Once upon q dine peopis. wanted
state wide prohibition OF co6eS.: n his
book. London In English Literature"
Perry p. BoyntoD sayssof tue old tstbf-
feS, bouses:fs sii &aSi
"As the number OF thsnt ilet1fssd'
II A.>A. L---A AL-A SNA-A