Evening star., 1923-08-02
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

There are only thirteen of us who
understand the Einstein theory-but
no matter.
DR.. Paul r. Heyl of the United
States Bureau of Standards may be
one-but matter DIR. Heyl has
been testing it. to discover whether
it shows that Newton's laws of grav-
ity hold good. Was that Newton
pippin, which fell on his head, sweet
or sour? But, no matter, for it's only
pure science"
! DR.. Heyl has a hunch that If by
| laying a long crystal fat on the
| note a difference in it's weight, he
! will prove that the apple which ex-
| posed what holds the sun, moon and
| stars in their orbits. was sweet or
! sour. If the crystal weighs more
when fiat on the scales. than when it
stands UP, then Newton was right and
| Einstein is wrong-but. no matter.
| This won't change the weight of ten
| pounds of sugar for dollar, for IL
| is only pure science" 1t won't help
| the farm bloc one whit. No matter.
What is really interesting is the
extreme delicacy of the scales used
fby DR.. Heyl. They are enclosed in
three inches of cork and a wooden
blanket and kept in one room, while
the operator stays in another room,
separated by a brick wall. through
which he peers with a telescope at the
scales pointer. The separation is TO
prevent the operators breath from
\ affecting the temperature of the
scales or of the crystal he is weigh
| ing
! When. with long iron rods. reaching
| from the operators room to the
| scales in the other room, he shifts
the position of the crystals. the scales
pointer oscillates for two hours be-
| fore IL comes to a quiet decision.
Up to date, DR. Heyl has found no
difference in the weight of the crystal,
| no matter at what angle it lies.
hence Einstein is right. and the New
| ton apple was sour. That is as clear
| as crystal
| The exereme delicacy of the weigh
Ing of the crystal and its negative
| results. in spite of all ina aginable pre-
I cautions against extraneous infiu-
| ences. bring to mind the efforts taken
within the last year or two by an
| American practical scientist" of
| worldwide fame. He sought to dis
| cover the weight of a human soul by
| weighing the body Of man imme-
diately before and after death. The
| theory was that nothing could leave
| a body. and yet the body weigh
| exactly the same: therefore. by nicely
weighing before and again after
! death he could prove or dIsprove the
| existence of a soul.
His tests came to naught Even if
| they had shown change Of weight.
that would have proved nothing. for
the soul is spirit. and a spirit is no
! matter to he weighed.
! If his scales had shown a varia =
\ ion. that might have been due to the
natural gas of the body. and there
would have been no Identification OF
soul
/ The remarkable part Of the test
! by the practical man" lay in the fact
! that man. very great in his way.
| should have reasoned himself into
| such an undertaking. So far is the
practical man" from comprehensive z
! the scope and range of pure
! science"
What practical application will
! ever come from the Einstein theory ?
VIII water run uphill, under the Elm
stein theory, any better than it does
under Newton's laws Of gravitation ?
That does not concern the scientist
Franklin knew nothing about the
| application of the fire which came
down his kite string. but he proved a
new fact in pure science" showing
! that lightning, which could rend
! mountains and shake the dome of
heaven. was electricity.
The science of await tion was made
/ known and was demonstrated in the
| first century after Christ. Its mathe-
matical principles were worked out
| by Leonardo da Ninci about the time
America was discovered by Columbus
but II was not made practical until
the Wright brothers glided. twenty
years ago. How 1t has changed the
destinies of the world. in its practical
application during the world war. has
not yet been Comprehended. Within
the next decade 1t will supersede