The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-11-23
ENERGY IN ATOMS
Likened to Infinite Power In an
InfiniteSimal Space.
EACH ONE IS A TINY WORLD.
II All Should Burst Their Walls at
once the Universe Would Dissolve
In IN Instant-A Magic Force That
Science Is Seeking to Control.


In IN Instant-A Magic Force That
Science Is Seeking to Control.
DO you remember when Aladdin
had. at last, got down into the cave
under The tree. what indispensable mar.
vels he found around MIN. Bnt among
all the riches or the cave there was
gnly one little dust covered thing that
was really worth the risk he mad run.
bec3hse 1t alone was truly novel and
unlike anything else In the world-the
necrOmante lamp that had the genie
for its slave. With that in his posses.
sion the poor boy was more powerful
than nh the monarchs In the World
provided that he knew how to handle
the lamp. and thai knowledge came to
him by accident
have just been pondering over some
statements by Jean Becquerel. the
French physicist, about the contents
Of the atoms OF which matter Is com.
posed. and they nave forcibly recalled
Ahddin's adventures 10 my mind. The
Interior of an atom Is a little world
Infinitely more marvellous than the
cave that contained the magic limp,
and 1t conceals powers incomparably
greater than that of Aladdin's good
genie.
TO the scientific imagina tion the In
side of an atom is inversely as won.
drous rs the starry heavens. II is in.
finite power packed into infinitesimai
space. That. OF course, is an exas.
geration: but this is a case in which
one has TO speak in imposing figures.
because the facts surpass all ordinary
experience
1.-THE atom" says Jean Becquerel,
rs closed world. or almost closed.
and It is that fact which constitutes
its Individuality"
This "closed world" OF the atom Is
so small that If we could increase the
powers OF our microscopes thou.
sandfold we could not render It visible.
and yet that minnie speck OF matter
incloses 'soiar system" ms elaborate
as that of the great sun with Its
planets. and keeps locked up there an
energy so colossal that the plainest
statements of fact that can be made
about It seem like wild dreams.
"The emaDattOn from radium" IN
substance whose atoms spontaneously
give out at least part or their en-.
ergy) us capable or liberating $500. OOO
times more energy than the most VIC
lent chemical reaction known"
The world within the atom ordinarily
behaves as II IL had no concern with
the world outside. IL is sufficient unto
itself. Ii is little medieval China.
with closed ports and bic
walls all round. Still. very few atoms
like those OF radinm. have a tendency
to communicate With the outer world
by q kind OF explosion.
if all atoms should burst their nils
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 COMPOUNDED;
things lose their nature and SHIFT into
other things: uranium gives birth Ia
radium and "a polonium: radium brings
forth heilnm. and the last transforma.
ZION OF polOnium that has thus far been
observed is into plain lead. IL is like q
transmigration OF atomic souls.
Bnt this Is not the only consequence
OF the opening OF the world OF the
atom. That opening releases energy IN
which some day perhaps we may be
able tn nflli2-
Atomic energy Is the magic iamp
that the Aladdin 81 science has founc
In natures secret cave.
One day Aladdln's mother found the
rusty lamp where he had cast 1t aside
as useless aud thought that she would
polish II up. Instantly. ut the FIRST vic.
orous rub. the slave or The lamp stood
before her. ready TO do her bidding!
The Aladdin or science has not
thrown his lamp aside. lie knows II is
full OF magic. he Is sure that n he
ruhs II Alright the genie will appear be-
fore him. but he has not yet learned
the right stroke. And perhaps after all
II viii he With him "a II was with the
other Aladdin-accident win teach him
the secret.
When that day comes. n ever II does
there win hardly he any limit 90 the
transforming power or man over the
world be lives in.-Garrett p. Serviss
A, Noor NarE