The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-20
SCIENTIFIC WORLD ANARCHY.
Conservative Element Called Upon to
Defend Laws Of Gravitation from
Radicals.

Their minds properly detached from
and obliyious TO the swirling events Of
the day that engage the interest Of
most OF us, the men OF science are
serenely pursuing their customary vo-
cation. Unmindful Of the eccentricities
Of the law Of supply and demand, SO
vexing to their fellow mortals, they are
interested only in the unfathomed, per
haps, unfathomable, mysteries Of ere
alton itself Just now they seem to
be concerning themselves particularly
with the law OF gravitation.
Isaac Newton is coming in for some
hard knocks. As the circumstances are
recalled Of the discovery which we have
supposed made his title clear TO a per
manent residence among the immor-
tails, he was taking nap in the shade
Of an apple tree when a windfall
dropped on his nose, Anybody but a
scientist would have been vexed TO be
40 rudely awakened, but DR.. Newton,
his mental energies agreeably stirred,
proceeded to ask himself why the APP
pie did not fall up, or sideways, instead
of down. BY supper time he had
evolved the law Of gravitation, which,
simply stated is; What goes up
must come down, on your head or on
the ground"
II has been described as the broadest
and most fundamental law in all phys
ical science, Of universal application,
unique among the laws o.. nature. It
rules the courses OF the stars as well
as accounting for the fall Of an apple,
Unril now it has been believed to be
impregnable But modern science is
threatening it with doubts. There are
scientists, very likely, who covel the
fame that would be achieved il New.
tons law could be proved untrue. It
will be hard for ordinary minds to
sympathize with this aspiration The
name Of the man who spoke disrespect.
fully Of the equator IS forgotten. and
we should say that anybody who would
attempt to discrcdit Newtons law
would be equally deserving OF oblivion
A professor at the University Of
Prague is responsible for raising the
issue, and the other day it was solemn
ly discussed at a gathering Of the Roy
al society in London It seems that OBJ
| seryations Of the eclipse of the sun last
May revealed certain alterations Of
light contrary TO what would be ex.
pected II the law of gravitation were
functioning up there with one hundred
per cent efficiency One Of the assem-
bled scientists declared that we are on
the threshold Of the greatest achieve
ment of human thought if what ap.
peared to be true turned out to be So
But calmer eounseIs prevailed the
bare possibility that Newton's law is
subject to reservations or amendments
ut this late day, was too shocking even
| for scientific creduity For if the law
of gravitaion must CO. the whole
structure Of physical science will rock
on cracking foundations.
DR.. Newton will have his defenders
in this emergency Of course. Already
an American scientist, speaking before
the National academy at New Haven
denies that the Prague professors an.
archistic theory is supported by the
strange observations of the solar
eclipse. He offers an explanation OF
his own to account for the latter, with.
out impugning Newton's law Lucki.
ly for humanity the question may be
settled without going to war about it
or even referring it to the league of ma
tions Providence journal.