Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-14
E|NSTE|N THEORY
BELIEVED CORRECT
No Ether, No Absolute Time or
Space, Scientists
Declare.
SUBJECTED TO SUPREME TEST
Astronomers Discuss Results of
Investigations of Eclipse
Expedition.
SUBJECTED TO SUPREME TEST
fnx Universal serviccl

nounccmcnt which the president OF the
Royal Society characterized as the most
remarkable scientific event since the
discovery OF the predicted existence Of
the planet Neptune by lie Vcrrier and
Adams. In this instance. also, n pre-
diction even more daring. because OPP
noscd to the astronomic and physical
appearances verified. 80 - an
The eclipse expedition. in which the
principal British observers we're Mr.
i.ddinSton. Plumian professor at Cam
bridge and Mr.. Crommcl.n. OF Green
IN taking photographs OF those stars
which could be discerned in the neigh
in eclipse.
stnr Plates Show Position.
by inc oa pTsi' i6n OF these stars is known
were compared with those taken at the
time of the eclipse 1t was seen that
other words, the rays OF light coming
from them had been DETECTED in their
room for doubt. Sir Frank Fr BISON 5s y ha NO
ms explained the method and the pre-
positively that detection Of light did
iakc place. and that the results were
oennite and conclusive.
IL was, however, not merely tho IA
Of detection tina, was at issue: il was
inc extent Of IL, Here again the AS
that the MEASUREMENTS showed the OK
tent OF the detection wa. in close ac-
cord with that predicted by the mathc-
~ was greater tnore than doublc) than
mat mat conceded as possible by tho chief
Two CONGREGATIONS arise from these
results Inc hrat, which is compare
nature OF the light.
Corpuscuinr, Said Newton.
pit Isaac Newton hcsitatinEly ar
n,med thai light might be corpuscular
n9Gasurably small par;ic!es.
ia Later; Dr. Young substituted for this
which sound. for example. is propa-
pes sos hToush w yhe afr IF M5en
gun is hred, and the disturbance man
he mea Tsir ih tsr q: the assistance OF
So with light. 4 disturbance is set
,1ob IN "a d ,ss star It starts yibra-
and this vibration Is receiver by him
ga pulsation energy falling on his
plate.
What IL The Medium,
h has been accented as binding together
facts. But il viii be noticed that in
order 10 make it completely plausible
of some medium between star and star
or star and astronomer; something
sble@wil yet transmit 'n Sbr ls ON,
and transmit them at the rate Of 1856.
600 miles second. which is the speed
;,, J., must must be a medium which. though
For the PURPOSES Of this hii" theory y'p phy
sicists imagined the existence Of the
which permeates ali space pace even ye TO- e'r The
interstices OF matter. but through which
matter. suns and stars and planets can
yet move without opposition.
Every Attempt Failed.
without expressing any opinion on
the extent to which this imagined phe-
i nomen9n appeals to mans imperfect
for the last thirty years every attempt.
se nrs nj With the classic investisa
ley. to demonstrate the concrete evil
denee Of the other has failed
Einstein theretore. set himself Pn 70 eon
struct model Of the universe in which
he reconciIed and accounted for without
demanding evidence OF an ether at all.
9, At the ds same time another physicist.
emission OF light. which. roughly, is
that light is made up OF pusations Of
energy, or light quanta."
enthusiastically Small.
Ihe rotation of the electrical elements
9 Of the atom are e69eeeeeod nG small
enter the eye every second to pro-
duce the senation OF light. More than
100000 of them are contained in
1t will be observed that Planck's
estimates n are sufficiently exact. but the
these particles OF light energy are
material things. not mere pulsations
in supposed ether
Subject to Gravity Laws.
idea would be, that these material par
ticles would be subjected to the OBJ
served laws OF gravity. Consequent
the sun, or any other attractive body.
the sun would pull them out OF their
',path.
more obscure from a iayman's point
Of view; Sir Oliver Lodge. who is the
cs1sf En of ,hs ,eXponent of The con
rather reluctantly admitted that de-
Geeiion 1 mlght take place though he
were perceived IL would not arnount
uhree,Gs quartz, OF second Of an a as.
that. light has weight. withoutp Pins ;me
pairing the idea of its passage through
In his words it would mean thu,
the wave front of raw 81 ,iolht
simulated the properties OF matter latter
subject TO tho laws of gravity"
Einstcin's hold Assertion.
4. But, this IS not enough for Einstein
Nand his school. They assert that
light not only simulated the proper.
ties Of matter; but is matter They
further say that there is no such
possible ever to fix a stationary line
or lines In space; in, fact. that mo.
ton Of matter through the ether ia
phrase without meaning, and that
automatically space is limited hut
IS not a fixed, unalterable thing, but
is itself altered in, character by mat
ter passing through It.
Further in explanation OF n purely
mathematical theory 1t is impossible
10 go in any reasonable amount OF
space. II remains to add merely that
on this mathematical theory the de-
Election OF the light from stars whose
rays Craze the sun should amount NOT
10 three-quarters Of a second. but 10
CONTINUED on Seventh PageJ