Evening star., 1922-03-26

trio actions necessarily set up wire
less waves. whether or not they be
specifically designed to do so.
LAS quality and delicacy of de-
tectors gradually improve there will
be increasing possibility of picking
up feeble impulses and of the use of
decreasing powerful sending appara-
tus. One new amplif1er and equip
ment will make perceptible wireless
waves of less than one-millionth the
Intensity required for perception by
the ordinary detector.
Create spark by stroking cats
back and its impulse will go out into
the universe through space with
nearly the velocity of light and with
80 far as We know. no limit to the
vast range Of its travel. Close to the
cat almost any wireless instrument
would pick up its wave. At a distance
only a powerful amplifier could do
SO. the power needed increasing as
distance from the cat increased.
only the efficiency of our receiving
instruments prevents us from catch
ing and perhaps interpreting many
feeblewaves, of which, at present We
must remain unconscious. So, as
nerve-energy is electricity and as all
other electric impulses start wireless
waves it is reasonable to suppose that
nerve-energy must do the same when
exterted in pain. affection. passion, OF
any sort, an impulse toward muscle
movement or, note this, even thought
Itself.
''The vicinity OF an angry man or of
couple in love surely is vibrant
with electrical discharges. Romantic
writers have been more accurate than
they knew when speaking OF pulsat-
ing air surrounding great or passion
ate events. This conclusion cannot be
avoided. When instruments delicate
enough have been devised, life may
become rather startlingly complicat-
ed. Imagine! Your love, hate, anger,
JOY, sorrow. worry of any kind. re-
vealed-proved or disproved by scien-
tific instruments!
I'VE may be able to learn, at will,
what sometimes will seem to be too
much! The creation Of newly delicate,
receiving apparatus is the one great
step remaining to be taken. Can we
devise instruments sufficiently sensi-
tive to catch radiations from active
nerves and thinking brains?
X x x
ttT SAY without hesitation that though
the development of such instru-
ments will be difficult, it is possible
Suppose there should be arranged
along the skin of a man or woman, an
insulated wire parallelling one OF the
major nerves of body. say, for in
stance, the sciatic nerve and its prin-
cipal branches along tho leg from
toe to hip. Suppose this were con-
nected with a very powerful. but very
delicate. perfectly adjusted amplify-
ing instrument, able to multiply wire
less impulses by ten millions or per-
haps one hundred milliona
''Then suppose a pin should be stuck
into the toe Of the person used for
tho experiment. Certainly a strong
sensation of pain would be transmit
ted up that persons nerves to his
spinal cord and brain. motor i'm
pulse to jerk the toe backward in
stantly would be sent by his brain
down the same motor nerves Both
tho pain impulse and the order for
the backward jerk would be electric
cal. each creating its feeble wire
less wave. The nerve would be the
sending station for the wave.
~outside the body the insulated
wire parallefing the nerve could act
as . receiving station Gin practical
wireless the antennae) for this wave.
A suflciently powerful amplifier con-
nected with the wire should enable
reinforcement of the nerve-signal
even to the point at which it would
become audible through a telephone
receiver.
"Of course, all this would not be
SO simple as my description seems to
indicate, but believe the experiment,
properly performed, would be sue
cessful.
IAN instrument capable Of tsn-mil.
lion amplihcations 10 more easily
asked for than obtained. but thso-
isticalIy. II auits possible, and. the