Evening star., 1928-04-29
NATURE NOW BABBLTNC
SOME OF HER SECRETS
Many of Earth's Mysteries Are Being
Cleared Up by Scientific
Research.

| new physics holds that when matter Is
used TO create energy, as by burning or
otherwise. some of the weight of the
matter does disappear--in other words
that matter is transformable into
| energy. 1t all has been figured out very
accurately according to the EinSteinian
equations.
To sum up the whole thing, DR..
| Millikan found that the penetrating
| power Of some of his cosmic rays de-
manded almost exactly the amount of
/ energy that would be created in the
| total destruction involved in four hy-
| drogen atoms combining to form one
! helium atom. But there are other
/ jumps in the atomic table, The great
/ bulk Of the universe is built up of six
| elements-hvdrogen helium, oxygen.
j nitrogen silicon and iron All the
/ others. on earth or in the stars. are so
/ Scanty that they hardly need to be
i taken INTO consideration DR.. Millikan
found that some of his coSmic rays de-
manded the amount of energy that
would result from the upbuilding of
helium into oxygen and hydrogen and
the others the amount that would come
when the next jump was made-to sill
con and iron.
Hydrogen Is First Element.
Everything fitted like the edges Of a
prepared pattern He had arrived.
quite Unexpectedly, at almost positive
proof that everything in creation Is
built up from the basic hydrogen which
combines. in ways Still obscure, TO form
the heavier atoms
Thus hydrogen is the first thing IN
! the physical universe upon which man
can lay his hands. When the next step
is taken. and science knows how hvdro-
gen itself Is created, man will have ar
rived at knowledge of the origin OF
matter
What is lifeP
The National Academy listened to
papers which went far toward solving
even this mystery
DR.. w j. V. Osterhout of the Rookie
feller Foundation was approached by a
group OF reporters after reading one of
these papers and asked TO give a clear
er statement. He had Just told the
scientists that he didn't expect even
that many Of them could understand
exactly what he was talking about. but
that he could clear 1t up by a private
conversation.
rs it safe TO say that life is a form
/ OF electricity?" he was asked.
Something like that" replied the
celebrated biologist. But don't say /
said it exactly like that. II you do
every fake doctor in the country will
be advertising some Quack electrical
remedv."
He went on to explain that the cell.
the physical basis Of all living things.
really is an electrical battery. or
rather a series of electrical batteries
all strung together.
Brain Of Batteries.
And then Or. George w Grille Of
Cleveland presented the picture of the
brain OF man or animal as a composite
battery, made up of millions OF smaller
batteries. the individual cells. He had
measured the discharge OF electricity
from the brain Of animals kept for dave
without sleep or TO whom had been ad-
mintstered powerful doses OF anesthettc
either or urethium
What happened? The battery stead
ily discharged until ii became dead !"
And the instant the battery was dead
the animal was dead He found that
the effect Of sleep was TO reci1arge the
battery and the effect of suffering TO
discharge 1t rapidly.
Everywhere there was a close parallel
between this electricity Of the body cells
and life itself
One other basic thing the academy
/ touched upon.
What Is Personality.
/ What IS personality--or individuality.
or the thing which distinguishes one
/ man from another?
] 1t can't be found In the brain. DR.
Henry H. Donaldson Of the Wistar In
4 siitute told the scientists after telling Of
autopSieS on the brains OF three ceie-
! btateo scholars These we're q. Stanley
/ nan. former president Of Clark Uni
Versity; Edward w Morse. celebrated
/ zooiogist. and Sir William Osler the
/ famous English physician. He had COM
pared the brains Of these men with those
oi three undistinguishable persons The
/ oinefences actually were very slight, and
] py no means sufficient 10 explain the
onierences In achievement. Besides
nan, nan, morse and Osler were men OF very
oi1erent personalities. but there was
nothing In their brains 10 show n He
believed IT was matter Of blood chem
/ Btry and finer. indistinguishable con-
nectlons between the brain cells.
Why Brains Differ.
But Dr. Ales Hrdiicka Of the Smith
soaian Institution pointed out way of
possible progress even in this direction
ne told the academy OF recent expert
| ment& by Polish anthropOlogist who
examined the brains of three men-~one
Famous Russian mathematician. one
a notable Russian scientis and the
thlfo common Polish laborer. In
/ tneir physical appearance and convolu-
tlofis these brains were very similar
Dut The secret Of the difference was
iouno by measuring the blood supply to
tne brain celh. That Of the mafhema-
tnlan Was enormous. That Of the sci
enlist was far above normal That oi
me iabofer was far below the other two
me mental difference IN men might
depend. these tests show. on the blood