The New York herald., 1922-12-17

ana propositions in geometry may not
stand the test when absolute instead OF
relative standards are applied to them.
Our good old friend Euclid informs us
though perhaps the heresy should not
be charged against hin--that the sum
Of the three angles Of a triangle equals
two right angles. AS a matter OF fact.
the sum Of the angles must be greater
than two right angles and less than six.
II the earth were fat the Euciidian
proposition would be true. In other
words. 1t is proposition relative to a
fiat earth. Our lawmakers also legislated
fat earth into existence when they
ordained that a township OF public land
shall be six miles square and bounded
by parallels and meridians. Astronomy
and navigation excepted. our everyday
activities are based upon a fiat earth.
Relatively to our activities the earth,
therefore, Is fiat and subject to the
propositions Of plane and not to spheri-
cal geometry. Only when we consider
the absolute or spherical earth do the
angles OF. a triangle fall to conform to
those Of q fat earth.
Perhaps the foregoing illustrations
savor Of the kindergarten. Nevertheless
they lead to an understanding Of the
fundamental principle, naui ", that the
real phenomena OF nature Vre not ex-
actly as humanity seems TO see them
therefore they must be reduced to abso-
lutte terms In order to bo accurately
studied.
One problem OF reiativity has become
a perplexing pHzzle to the physicist.
One OF the theories of nature which have
not yet been upset assumes that space
Is entirely filled with ether. a some
thing which pervades everything. From
the nature OF the theory it follows that
heat, light. electricity and everything
else which reaches the earth from space
must traverse the universe Of ether.
The earth is moving through tho ether
both in Its Journey around the sun
and also throughVspace with tho solar
system.
Exhaustive determinations have fixed
the velocity Of light through the ether
at $4,000 miles a second. Now, II the
earth and the other members OF the
solar system are In motion through
space. say. with velocity Of 1000 miles
be $4,000 miles a second when projected
IN the direction Of the earths motion
and $4,000 miles q second when sent in
the opposite direction.
II was In accordance with this lG-
pothesis that Professor Nicholson at
tempted to measure the velocity Of the
solar eyste.n through space. The hy-
pothesis is simple to understand and the
proof thereof seemed naturally to fol-
low. But, to the anna cement OF the
experimenters, It did not follow. vNo
matter how carefully or in what way
the determinations were made, differ
ence In the velocity OF light could not
be discovered. Hence It was made 10
appear that the earth's motion in space
was nil. But such g. conclusion Is fatty
against the strongest evidence to the
contrary.
In this dilemma Or. Einste.n came to
the rescue with the opinion that "the
phenomena Of nature will be the same
TO two observers who move with any
Uniform velocity whatever to each
other" and this may be regarded as a
fundamental proposition IN the hypoth-
GELS VI 1uCluSHldiiy, IL SHOWS
that in certain cases time itself may be
eliminated from consideration. There
remain, therefore, motion and space.
Let US imagine that an entity possess
ing consciousness Is alone in space
that nothing else terrestrial or celestial
Is In existence except the ether. Such
an entity could not discover that mo-
t!on existed even IL moving with >the
velocity Of light. In other words, un-
less such an entity were endowed with
consciousness beyond that which hu-
manity now possesses there would be
no motion, at least relatively.
But Or. Einstein is not the FIRST 70
PROFOUND a theory OF relativity. One
Paul. writing to the Corinthians, ex-
presses the idea OF relativity very
clearly: "But when that which IL per-
feet is come. then that which Is In part
shall be done away For now we
see through glass darkly: but then
face to face: now I know in part: but
then ! shall know even as l am known
And. on the whole. Paul and DR.. Elm
stein have demonstrated the proposition.