Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-19
MYSTERIES REMAIN
IN RADIO WORKINGS
Despite Progress, Science
Has Not Yet Found Answer
to Many Questions.
BY CARL HI. BUTMAN.

Probably the most fascinating thing
about radio. aside from its apparently
unlimited scope and great adaptation.
is its inherent mystery. which still
clings to 1t despite the great advances
made in this new science and art.
There may be some fans who are so
credulous as to believe that we know
all about radio. They are far from
correct. however. as even the experts
will point out. We are just learning
how to keep a broadcasting station
on it's assigned channel. after nearly
Ave years of broadca sting. Apparatus
for both transmitting and reception
Is. of course, operative and service
able, but there are many improve
ments still to be made. and much re-
search to be done before radio will
be perfectly adaptable to our require
ments and understood in all it's
vagaries.
Although We have mastered the
essential problem, scientists agree that
there are many angles as yet not un-
derstood. and that the future will re-
veal many practical uses of radio
which are unknown today. Fortu
nately, many of our investigators are
not lacking in vision so that eventu-
ally. probably every possible use of
radio will be developed.
Going hack to the mystery. What,
for example, do we know about the
curious form Of winter blanketing"
that interfered with reception last
year, or about fading, static? The use
of radio for controlling mobile bodies.
and the transmission of light, heat
and power may be possible. But, ex-
cept fer the controlling of mobile
bodies. few experiments even have
been carried on in these special prob
lens. ShOrt-Wave transmission. the
latest economical and practical means
Of communication, is still not thor
oughly understood nor mastered. Most
engineers admit that we know little
about what happens in the ether after
a message leaves the station until 1t
is received at another point and in
this field alone considerable research
must be carried out. Only a short
time ago several Members of Con-
gress INDUCED in a vigorous debate
over what "ether" was, and as a re-
suit the word. usually used to de
scribe the medium through which
radio waves are sent, was left out of a
piece of proposed legislation. since the
legislators could not agree on what it
was.
Among few of the other mysteries
WHICH sui NllHSldIu the elIOIlS Ol
science and engineers are the effects
Of the Aurora Borealis and sun spots
on radio and the cause of the so-called
dead spots where reception of prac
tically any type of radio waves seems
impossible.
The adaptation of radio has been
applied to many practical uses be
sides ordinary communication. 1t is
used to operate relays which throw
switches in power houses at consid
era BILE dista noes from the main plant ;
it is used in several ways to aid navi
gators of the sea and air, and is now
being adapted to railroads as a means
of control and as a safety device. 1t
also is found of great benefit in trans
hitting practically throughout the
world time signals which enable sci
entists and explorers to establish &C.
curately points on the surface of the
earth. It's use in peace is very gen
eral and it's use in war includes many
applica tons besides for communica-
ton. which the military and naval au-
thorities will not reveal or discuss.
Although many practical uses have