Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-10-14
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 tho Universe Would Dissolve
In an lnstant-A Magic Force That
Science is Seeking TO Control.
Do you remember when Aiadoln
had, at last got down into the cave
under the tree, what inexpresslbie mar
wells he found around himi HIT among
all the riches of the cave there was
only one little dust covered thing thar
was really worth the risk he had. rnn.
because it alone was truly novel and
unlike anything else In The worid-the
necromanic lamp that had the genie
for its slave. With that IN lis posses.
sion the poor boy was iDore powerful
than all the monarchs In the world
provided that be knew how TO handle
the lamp. and that knowiedge 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 Is little world
Infinitely more marvellous than tba
cave that contained the magic lamp.
and it conceals powers incomparably
greater than that of Aiaddia's good
genie.
TO the scientific imagina ton the in
side of an atom IL inversely as won
drous as the starry heavens. 1t Is ia
finite power packed into infinitesinas
space. That. of course. is IN exag.
geraton; but this is case in which
one has to speak In imposing figures.
because the facts surpass ell ordinary
experience.
'"The ATOM" says Jean Becquerel.
!: ''is a closed world. or almost closed.
and It Is that fact which constitutes
its Individuality"
This CLOSED world" OF the atom Is
80 small that II we could Increase the
powers Of our microscopes thou
sandfold we could not render IT visible.
and yet that minute speck of matter
1Dcloses solar system" AS elaborate
as that of the great sun with its
planets. and keeps locked mp there an
energy So colossal that the plainest
statements of fact that can be made
about it seem like wild dreams.
1.-The emanatiun from rudium" Is
substance whose atoms spontaneously
give out at least part Of their en-.
ergy' "is capable Of hberati 100000
times more energy than the most VIC
lent chemical reaction known"
The world within the atom narily
behaves as IL it had no concern with
tho world outside. 1t is sufficient unto
Itself II is n little medieval China.
with closed ports and insurmountnbie
walls all round Still. a very few atoms
like those of radium. have tendency
to communicate With the onter world
by kind of explosion.
II all atoms should burst their walls
simultaneously the Whole universe
would be dissolved in nm instant
Tbe atoms that do d!SiDieGrate pass
from change to change. Within their
limits the foundations Of matter are
broken M: the distinctions Of the fun
damenta! elements are ronfounded;
thugs lose their nature and shift in.c
other things: uranium gives birth to
r0dium and to pOloniun: radium brings
forth helinm. and the last tranSfOrma
ton OF pOloniuD that has thus far been
observed Is into plain lead. 1t !s like
trnnsmigrati0n Of 8tOmic souls
But this Is not the only consequence
OF the opening or tie world Of the
atom. That opening releases energy in
forms which we can recognize apG
which SOME day perhaps we may he
able to utilize
Atomic energy is the magic lamp
that the Aladdin OF science has fOunC
In natures secret cave.
One day Aladdin'S mother found the
rusty lamp where he he'd east ii aside
as useless and thought tha: she would
polish ii up. Instantly, at the first Wig
orous rub. the slave Of the lamp stood
before her. ready to do her bidding!
The Aladdin Of science has not
thrown his lamp aside. He knows II Is
full of magic He is sure that If be
rIbs it Alright the genie will appear be
fore him. but he has NOT Yet leurned
the right stroke And perhaps after all
It will be with him as 1t was with the
other AlaGdip-accident will teach him
the secret.
When that day comes, If ever II does
there will hardly be any limit to the
transforming power or man over the
world be lives in.-Garrett ?. Serviss
In New York Journal.