Evening star., 1923-04-01
BY PAUL GRIGGS.

The three -electrode thermionic va
cuum tube or 'audion," constitutes the
outstanding marvel of the infant science
Of radio.
bottle" or wonder lamp, OF radio anu
it Is relatively as powerful electncaily
as it is fragile mechanically:
Although it possesses sufncient power
TO literally hurl the equivalent OF
sounds over continents and oceans with
iightning-lilze speed, and the versatility
10 unerringly detect the sound equlVa-
lentS and cause them to be IalthfullV
reproduced, yet its physical properties
are of such a fragile nature that 1t can
readily be destroyed by a chllu.
In practical service in this material
age. it rivals the fantastic performances
x t.a= Imaginative creatures OF my
biology.
II materializes, in a sense, the i'm
aginative lamp of the mythical Alad-
din in the wondrous stories OF the
Arabian Nights" as the modern SUB
marine Stimulates the imaginative TNau-
titus" OF Jules Verne
Genii do not jump out of the audion
or radio lamp of today to do the bid
ding of the radio fan and then jump
back in again and disappear or other
wise fade away in a cloud OF smoke as
they did for Aladdin with his lamp in
tho age-old tales of the ARABIAN
Nights"
however, IN the TdulO ramp VI duNloll
Of today. or the tube" as it is COM
monty called, hundreds of millions of
invisible ''electrons," children of the
modern scientific mind. are created by
The radioman and controlled to do his
bidding. They now can readily be Gre
ated and suppressed at WILL as were
The imaginative genii of Aladdin, and
,heSe eleCtronS are capable of perform
ng marvelously useful service not
dreamed of by Aladdin or his creator.
prove that they are capable of perform
ing other useful services not yet recog-
nzed by scientists of today, because the
yacuum tube, already an extremely
powerful electrical device, is only elgh-
cen years old. and it is revolutionizins
he radio art, which itself is only
twenty-eight years old.
The vacuum tube Is recognized as an
instrument of tremendous potCntialities,
one that can justly be placed in the
modern devices as the gasoline engine,
he steamboat, the electric Dynamo the
steam engine and the telephone.
The vacuum tube, and the laws which
govern the creation. action and control
II electrons. are subjects OF intensive
Investigation, study, research and eN-
Perimentation in hundreds Of scientific
laboratories throughout the United
states and other hundreds elsewhere
throughout the world.
Thousands of American radio anna
teurs and other thousands of radio fans
are likewise giving thought and study
70 these subjects with such facilities
as they possess. from which may come
future improvements, such as the ia
nous Armstrong feed back and "su-
per-regenerative" radio circuits, for
which circuit patent rights the young
college student of that name is reputed
20 have received compensation approx
mating $1000.000. as well as Contribut-
iuo the advance of science.
It is a matter of qualification that
his outstanding marvel in the science
Of radio is the product of American
creative genius. The modern radio lamp
o- tube. is an American product. 1t is
the child of the first successful incan-
descent electric lamp invented by Edi-
son in 1879.
From Edisons electric lamp. contain