The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-04-23
HOW IDEAS
OF EINSTEIN
ORIGINATED
Experiment First Performed
in Cleveland Was
Basis,
BY DAVID DIETZ
Science Editor of The Times

Copyright, 1924, by David Dietz)
r. ROM prehistoric times on, man
r. has speculated about the ma
- ture of things"
Early mythology was an attempt
to explain the why of the universe.
Today we have a different concept of
the universe built upon the findings
of astronomers, mathematicians, phys
icists, chemists and the other scien-
lists.
From the work of all of these men,
we have decided on certain funda-
mentals as representing the all-per-
vading conditions or laws" of the
universe.
That is why the pronouncement Of
Prof. Albert Einstein's theory of rela-
tivity caused such furore. For Elm
stein upset many of these funda-
mentals.
Old Experiment
Before considering this theory, how
ever, let us turn our attention to the
experiment which led up to it.
This was the Nicholson Morley ex-
pertinent 1t was first performed in
1887 in Cleveland by Prof. Albert A.
Nicholson, now of the University of
Chicago, and the late Prof. Edward
A. Morley. At the time. DIR. Michel
son was at Case School of Applied
Science and DIR. Morley at Western
Reserve University.
Nicholson and Morley set out to try
. Ia4oot Tho aNrio+oana of tho atbav
If the ether exists, the earth is
moving through it and light is travel
ing upon it.
For the purpose of the experiment,
r. would be just as we'll to consider
the earth as standing still and the
ether moving or drifting by It,
Therefore a ray Of light travelling
along the earth in one direction would
be travelling with the ether drift. In
the other direction. It would be trave-
ling against il.
Lake Boat in Current
Every one knows that boat max.
ing a constant rate OF speed can
travel a certain distance with the
current of the river in less time than
II can travel the same distance against
the current
Therefore Nicholson and Morley set
out to see II they coul ddetect any
difference in the length Of time it
took a ray Of light to travel the same
distance in different directions.
Their apparatus consisted Of two
steel arms arranged In the form OF a
cross and so equipped with mirrors
that a ray of light was split into two
rays. one being reflected back and
forth along each arm. So delicate
was the apparatus that II would have
revealed a difference Of far less than
q milllonth Of a second.
No Result Found
But the experiment gave absolute
ly no sign OF any difference and CON
sequently no sign Of an ether drift.
The experiment was subsequently
repeated many times by DR. Dayton
G. Miller Of Case School of Applied
Science. But the result was always
negative.
Einstein made use Of this expert
ment as his starting point in formu-
lating his theory OF relatively.
DR. Miller repeated the experiment
again in 1921 on the summit of Mt.
Wilson. Cal. This time the expert
ment gave a result which might be
interpreted as having been caused by
an ether drift But other unlocked
for results also occurred.
Accordingly. DR. Miller says he pre-
fers to draw no DEDUCTIONS at the
present time and Is making plans to
repeat the experiment at greater
length within the next year or two.
Next article: Pre-Einstein Views of
the Universe.
J" W