The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-20
No Ether, No Absolute Time
Ut Space, Say Scientists in
UNFOLDING Einstein Theory

Tondon Tee 16.~-sir Frank Sy-
samson, the British astronomer royal,
In describing 10 recent Joint scs-
sion of the Royal society and the
Royal Astronomical society. the re-
suits Of the British celirse Of May
-. 1913, made an announcement
which the president of tn" ROYAL So
lofty characterized as thn most rc~
vsarkahir scientific event since the
discovery OF the prodic5 I'd existence Of
tae planet Neptune by lie Verricr and
Al ms IN this instance, also. a pre-
- .}on sven more daring. because op-
g &A to the astronoru5c and ps,rsicnl
s.-~e9Yics 81 two centuries, WAS 20 a1I
80 10 raln~cs verified
Ne ,-ciirse expedition in which the
rrineipsi British observers were Mr.,
Eddinctot5 Pluriau professor at
Ga G,bridfe and Mr.. Cfornmelin, IF
Greenwich observatory vas chiefly oc-
!. euylcs IN taking photographs OF
--sfhasa stars which could ne disccrned
IN tf1e neighharhood Of the sun when
.s.Sn st0 was in eclipse
STAR PLATES SHOW POSITION.
The position of THESE stars is
A,aown Nv many thousaud OF photo
ararhic star plates When these star
mates were compared with thoss
taken al the time of the eclips" II
mes s"eu that thov were mt In theic
,schi nfacea. H. other words thR rays
1T comafne from them has been
c'r0 In thelr paesa~e past the
Sur Three Is no room For doubt.
er .'e"rs Dyson hayin~ explained
st.. f.l.fm.a ard the preea utIons
tsfsn to eliminate" orrur stated posi-
,'-tr daHatt;on 81 light d,d tall"
f'}"f 'N- resu e. wcre def
. cH~otuIiv"
t-o~ however, rot merely the
~ ~ "a tlcrtion that was AZ tissue
ons 'he extent r Il. Here aptin
fbe tstrononstr royal was positive.
He ststas tt"t tho measurements
Showed the a7ttpt II thn detection
was IN Close accord with that Pre-
aicitH Nv The mathematical physicist,
Dr Abort Einsteia, II was greater
,nore than doubIe) than that con-
eeded as l,ossiSIr by the chief op,
pcnerts nf Einsteiu's theories.
Two consider Tons arise from these
fAsu,itS. The FIRST which ~ compaT-
stiteIv sirnrIe, IL concerned with the
nature of the light.
Cir Isaac Newton hesitatinrlv NJ
arrned that light rni~ht be corpuscu,
lar in character: II fnipht consist a.
fsnrn easirably small particles
Later Or. Young substituted for
snis idea that light was n manifesto
tlcn 81 energy akin to the wave m5-
lion by which sound. for example, -
rrcpa gated in the air. wave of dis
trrbauce passes through the air
when a gun ig fred, ans the disturb
ance rnanifeStS itself through the as
ssstAnce az TIE medium afar oTs
So with light A disturbance Is set
ap In Ii distant star II starts a VI
bration IN the medium. wherevcd he
is and this vibration II received by
rim, as q puIsation energy falling on
fiN rcttra or on his Photographic star
plate.
WHAT Is THE MEDIUM
FOR more than "A century this view
z has been accepted rs binding together
s and accounting for "a mass Of OBJ
served facts. But II wilt he noticed
y that in order IN make IT completely
pfansiu4e there mus he assumed the
Snsistence ~ sorne medium between
star and star or star and astronomer
something which, not being ai-~-for
vibrations and transmit them at the
I rats Of $4,000 ngiies . second, which
Is the spe~d OF light.
" yTlnst he a medium which, THOUGH
tnralpnbIe to the senses, ard quite
without weight, IL ia yet infinately rigid
For the purposes of this theory
phvsIcists irna gined this existence o.
the Iuininiternus the iirht,bearina
esther, which permcates all sparr. even
~ tho int~rstseeS nc nsatcr bHf
earonxh whie.i matter. asan4, and stars
49, .HI3nnnfn IN VET 1n0aea without on.