The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-07-03
ENERGY IN ATOMS.
likened to Infinite Power In an
lnfinitesimal Space.
EACH ONE IS A TINY WORLD.
All Should Burst Their Walls al
Once the Universe Would Dissolve
In an Instant-A Magic Force That
Science Is Seeking to Control.

In an Instant-A Magic force Tina,
Science Is Seeking to Control.
DO You remember when Alnddin
bhi, at last got down into the cav.
under the tree. what inexpressible mar
vcls he found around himi But among
all the riches of the cave there was
only one little dust covered thing that
was really worth the risk he mad run.
because II alone was truly novel and
unlike anything else In the world-th-
necromantic lamp that had the genie
for its slave. With that Nv his posses
sion the poor boy was more powerful
than all the monarcbs In the world
provided that he knew how to handle
the lamp. and that knowledge came to
him by accident
have just been bordering over some
statements by Jean Becquerei. 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 il little world
Infinitely more marvellous than the
cave that contained the magic lamp.
and II cOnceals powers incompa ra bly,
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. Ii is in.
finite power packed into infinItesimai
space. That Of course. is an exag.
geradOn; but this In a case In which
one has to speak IN imposing figures.
because the facts surpass all ordinary
experience. ~
''The ATOM" says Jean Becquere,.
us closed world. or almost closed.
and II IL that fact which constitutes
its Individuality"
This CLOSED world" of the atom IL
so small that II we could increase the
powers Of our microscopes a thon.
sandfo'd we could not render It visible.
and Yet that minute speck Of matter
incloses solar system" rs elaborate
as that Of the great sun with its
planets. and keeps locked up there an
energy 80 colossal that the plainest
statements nj fact that can be made
about II seem like wild dreams.
'The emanatiOn from radinm" IA
substance whose atoms sponta neously
give out at least q part or their en-.
ergy, "is capable Of nbera ting 2.5OO. 600
umes more energy than the most vio-
lent chemical reaction known"
The world within the atom ordinarily
behaves as II 1t had no concern with
the world outside. II IA sufficient unto
itself. II Is a little medieval China,
with closed ports aud insurmouutable
walls all round. Still. very few atoms.
Ike those Of radium. have q tendency
to communicate with the outer world
By kind Of explosion.
II all atoms should burst their walls
simultaneously the whole universe
would he 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.
damentai elements are confounded:
things lose their nature and shift into
other thugs: Uranium gives birth to
radium and to p0iOnium: radium brings
forth helinm. and the last transfOrma.
don OF pOionium that has thus far been
observed Is into plain lead! 1t is like a
transmigration of atomic souls.
But this IL 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 perhaps we may be
able to utilize.
Atomic energy Is the magic lamp
that the Aladdin Ut science has found
IN natures secret cave.
One day AIaddin's mother found the
rusty lamp where he had cast II aside
as useless and thought that 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
his lamp aside. He knows II Is
full Of magic. He IL sure that II he
rubs II Alright the genie will appear bs-
fore him. but be has not yet learned
the right stroke And perhaps after all
Il will be With him as II was with the
other Aiaddin-sccident with teach him
the secret.
When that day comes, if ever II does.
there will hardly be any limit to the
power OF man over the
world be lives in.-Garrett p. servtss
IN New York Journal