The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-01
New Theory of How Light and Electricity People the Stars

constellation Of the Centaur, we will find the
duration of the journey to be approximately
nine thousand years.
How will our germ, living at the time OF tss
departure, act in the OF this long Jour
ney?
Interetellar space has q very low tempera.
tacc, u near the absolute zero OF tho phys!-
cista which is 2I3 degrees centigrade .elow
the temperature of melting Ice The germ that
Is travelling across this space under the Impulse
of pressure of light must, then. endure for
months. years, or even centuries. temperi.
ture of 220 degrees Centigrade below zero
What Is going to be the result from the view.
point OF Its vitality, and. more than all, from
the point OF view Of it's germinative power?
Modern physicists and Psychologists answer
this question VIGOROUSLY; In the laboratory
of the Jenner Institute, In London, scientists
have quite recently met with success In keeping
In liquid oxygen for twenty hours. tenn
perature of $50 degrees Centigrade below zero.
spores OF bacteria which have completely re-
tanned their germinative power after this Sc
we're test. And Professor MacFayder has kept
living germs for more than six months III 200
degrees Centisrade below zero not only with.
out their germinative power having been de-
Stroyed. but even without Its having been In
1urcd in the slightest degree
Svante Arrhenius points out that this prese,-
walton OF germinative power Mt very low tenn
peratures is the most natural thing possible
This power. indeed, ought to disappear only
under the influence OF some chemical reaction.
mud it Is knotpn that these reactions take ptdco
more and more slowiy az the temperature Of
lnterstear space, reactions of life ought to be
produced by an activity a thousand million
times weaker than at temperature OF 10 de-
grees Centigrade, and at temperature OF 220
degrees Centigrade below zero the power of ger
mination would not diminish more during three
million years than II diminishes in day at the
temperature with which we are familiar, 10 de-
grees Centigrade below zero.
All fear In regard to the prolonged action OF
iold Is therefore removed--it is. then without
injurious effect on the germinative faculty OF
spores.
Time acting alone. seems equally ha rmlasa
Ia fario hnu hnn ,tt,d In faat IT, ID
- ,ut.a.ul! remained untouched
for 1900 years and which, nevertheless were
perfectly capable Of germlnation after this long
interval.
AS to the Influence OF the absolute aridity or
interstellar space. an agency that Is added to
that of cold and that Of time. neither does this
appear to be dangerous to our germ OF life.
Shralder has shown that green algo. Pleuro-
coccus can live three months in medium thar
has been completely sterilized by sulphuric
acid. Professor Maquenne, OF the French liz.
stitute, has gone still further He has demon.
apartment and observation at
hand that seeds can stay several years in a
Nes iube.--that is, in almost o complete
vacuum. without losing their germnative power
Paul Becquere has carried his experiment.
s.ili .urtheI. IN tue Leydcn laboratory ne has
subjected bacteria and spores for three weeks
to the combined influence of vacuum, cold
(--253 degrees Centigrade below zero). and alb
solute aridity. Their vitality remained perfect
The "circumambent conditions" of intersId
ereal space are. therefore, not hostile to the
vitality Of germ that would travel there. even
for very extensive period.
1t Is enough that among the thousand mill
ions of thousand millions OF germs sent off int
the Infinite by the pressure Of radiation, sngI,
one shall reach planet that has been without
life up to that time In order to become Their,
the point OF departure of manifold organism:
that will slowly evolve from It,
The minuteness Of such germ modera ties IL
fall through the atmosphere OF this plane
enough SO that 1t does not become heated as
result Of its friction In the atmosph to tenn
perature sufficient to Kill 1t. Having entered
atmosphere
Its eddles and currents. 1t will fall on sub
stratum. either solid or liquid, which will offe
1t conditions OF development. Life will be borl