Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-12
Einstein and Gravitation
From the st. Louis Globe. Democrat.

In spite Of the fact that il is asserted there
are not more than twelve men living capable
of understanding. Dr. Albert Einstein's new
theory of relatively, which amends, supplant
or supersedes the Newtonian theory OF gravta
ton, which was within the comprehension o.
the ordinary layman, the Endorsement of The
| new theory by the Royal Society OF Grea
Britain calls for its acceptance by the scientific
world, and thus, perforce, by common mortals
The fact that only choice few.supermen, even
among scientists, can understand it should moi
prevent us from accepting it is true. We un.
derstand so little of the things which enter into
our everyday lives that we are not warranted
in dawing the line of credulity at our personal
comprehension.
We have been meekly accepting the dictum
OF science for generations, although the church
once baked at it and made Galeo recant his
declaration that it was the earth and not the
sun whose motion made night and day, and in
spite of the overthrow of previously universally
accepted science by the Copernican theory OF
the universe. Also the ;-ray compelled science
to revise its theory Of the opacity, of matter,
just as it changed its theory of light from SUBJ
sance to motion Science seems now to be in
the transition stage as to the substitution of
the spiral for the formerly declared rotary mo-
ton of the matter of original chaos in the for
nation of suns, planets, satellites, comets and
whatever other celestial bodies there may be.
Yet science has always been assertive and dicta-
torial with regard to popular acceptance of its
theories OF natural law, whether revealed by
the microscope or the telescope or deduced
from the observation of the unaded eye and
the other four mediums of the senses. Each
theory has reigned supreme until topped from
its throne by another. And now we have the
law of gravitation, than which that Of the
Modes and Persians was more unaterable
in our minds because of the dctum OF science,
being showed aside by the theory of relatively
and the law Of difform motion.
Briefly, but not comprehendaby stated, that
theory is that there is no such thing as absp-
lutte time place, that both are relative and
that they exist with relation to objects and not
in government of them, and that gravity so
called is but dlfform motion or the result Of it
instead of Uniform motion which bodies have
which do not fall or detaeh themselves from
time and place DR.. Einsten is kind enough
to say that this new law will not make any diff
ference to us or to gravitation, formerly so
called, and SO we can take it or leave it" with
out IN any way changing our relation to natural
law or either adding to or detracting from the
formerly experienced result of falling out
window By nice calculations, confirmed by
recent observation of the eclipse of the sun.
Dr. Einstcin has proved that light does not
travel in a straight line and that the so called
ethereal space is devoid of ether both Of which
facts enter into the theory of relatively and law
of dfform motion and according to DR.. Elm
stein and approved by the Royal Society com
bined with the absence of actual time and space
account for the hitherto unaccountable move
ments of the planet Mercury and several other
eccentrIcities OF the universe which the New
tonian theory has been unable to fit In mod
esty declaring that he was not trying to dis
avow the Newtonian theory of gravtation, but
to give "sublimation or supplement to it.
DIR, Einstein said that he was trying to talk as
plainly as possible and would BE sorry if not
understood, and that is what the Globe Demo
crat has been trying to do and will be equally