Evening star., 1924-12-31
SCIENTISTS EVIDENCE TENDS
TO DISPROVE EINSTEIN THEORY
Heber d. Curtis Presents Experimental Results
Which May Discredit Third Proof Subnitted
BY German Mathematician.

| Strong experimental evidence with
q tendency to disprove the Einstein
theory of relatively. the most con-
vincing yet produced, was placed be-
fore physicists and astronomers at the
Bureau of Standards yesterday by
Heber d. Curtis Of the Allegheny
Observatory, retiring vice president
of the astronomy section Of the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science.
Hitherto this theory, involving the
most revolutionary changes in human
conception Of natural law since the
days of Sir Isaac Newton, has been
considered as practically proven and
has fulfilled the conditions set for 1t
In experiments.
The Einstein theory, carried to its
extremes, practically asserts in COM
plex mathematical language that,
verse in absoluate rest by which the
movement of all other objects can be
guaged, there can be no absolute
statement of time or place.
In other words, a. man might fall
dead, shot through the heart, an
infinitely small fraction of time be-
fore the bullet which killed him was
fired. One might see the fame of a
match before 1t was lit. One pos
sessed Of infinite vision might look
straight ahead and see the back of
his own head.
Makes Grotesque Picture.
BY perfectly logical application of
the deductions of the German mathe-
matician very grotesque picture of
| the universe can be obtained. The
values involved are SO small, however,
that the theory has been practical
CT ,1xy 30 q
atoms and here It has fitted some OBJ
served conditions better than the laws
of Newton.
From the first, three proofs were
laid down for this theory. The first
was that the perhelion of the planet
Mercury was slowly moving forward.
The theory meets this test. The Sec
| ond was that a ray Of light from a
distant star, passing close to the sun,
would be slightly bent by the force
of gravity eAerted by the sun. This
has been found to be true in observa-
tions of solar eclipses.
The third was that in the spectra
of an element in the sun and on the
earth there would be a shifting of the
infra-red lines to the right in the
former.
Third Test Disproves Theory.
Recent observations of the solar
spectrum by methods which can de-
tect shift ten times smaller than
that predicted by Einstein, DIR. Cur
tbs said. show that while the shift
takes place it Is different from that
which would be accounted for by the
EinStein theory and that the amount
of this shift tS the red is function
of the intensity of the solar spectrum
line. the finest lines not being shifted.
In the third test, then, under the most
delicate measurements of which man
is capable, the Einstein theory falls
down.
DR.. Curtis did not present this
evidence in an effort to disprove the
Einstein theory, but to show that 1t
had not been absolutely proved by the
conditions laid down by the inventor.
Its Importance lies in the fact that
conditions. either with planets or
atoms, have failed under exacting
tests.
Speaking OF the probable advances
in mans knowledge of the universe
before 1850, when a new start In as
Economical calculations will be made.
DR.. Curtis predicted that number Of
present mysteries will be cleared up
with Improvements in astronomical
Of these is the nature Of the element
coroniam. This has been found In the
spectrum of the sun. just as helium
was, but it has not been isolated on
earth. There seems no logical place
for it in the elements known to man.
VIII Attempt Isolation Of Coroniam.
Three attempts are to be made, he
said, to isolate coroniam during the
solar eclipse this month. The i'm
portance of isolating such an element
is shown by experience with helium.
First made known by photographic
studies of the sun, it's isolation on
earth has provided man with one of
his most valuable materials for both
experiment and commercial use. The
nation which had known of helium
and cheap method to isolate 1t dur
ing the World War, for instance,