Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-18
FORUM TALK TELLS
OF STUDY OF RAYS.
Abbot Discusses Smithsonian
Work, Crittenden EdiSon's
Inventions.

The rays of the sun, source of all life
and power on the earth, and the in
vestigations of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition in this field were the subject OF
an address by DR.. G. O. Abbot, secretary
Of the institution, while DR.. E, C. Crit
tenden, chief of the electrical division
OF the Bureau of Standards, discussed
the life and inventions of Thomas A.
Edison last night In the National Radio
Forum arranged by The Star and spon-
sored by the Columbia BroadcaSting Co
DR.. Abbot told of the new work be-
gun during the past Summer by the
Smithsonian Institution-the study of
the effect of the suns rays on plants.
He said as yet no man has initiated the
life chemistry of radiation"
Data Long Awaited.
"At the Smithsonian Institution we
shall first grow some of the well known
plants in closed chambers" he said,
within which we shall regulate the
temperature, the humidity, the carbonic
acid gas and the chemicals at the roots.
With these variableS controlled, We shall
supply radiation from special electric
lamps and measure and regulate the
exact colorS or wave lengths and the
exact intenSities Of the rays required to
promote growth. The results as regards
stature, leaf area poisoning, seeding
and gain of dry weight will be funda-
mental data such as the world has long
waited for"
After this superficial part of the in
veStigation," DR.. Abbot said. it is hoped
''to learn to initiate the reactions Which
light, water and carbonic acid Dropa-
gate in live plants" Later, he said, the
Smithsonian scientists hope to pursue
studies that may hasten the time when
more win be known about the effect of
the suns rays upon diseases Of the hui
man body.
More Than Mere Invention.
Or. CrittenGen told OF the importance
of Edison's invention of the electric
lamp, whose fiftieth anniversary will be
celebrated on Monday. He said this
golden jubilee celebrates much mere
than the mere invention of a lamp"
ut IS a renewed recognition said
Mr.. Crittenden, "of the man whose ge-
Mus more than any other lbs made our
Industrial world what it is today" =
DR.. Crittenden declared that Edison,
IN his so years of invention and de-
velopment has produced concrete re-
suits whose influence on the life end
thought Of the world we cannot yet
comprehend or evaluate.'
@ASNSB o~SASeo@Jp SPSAS IA Adh
follows:
Except for the romantic twinkling
stars, our light comes directly or in
directly from the sun. Gas lights are
produced by burning fuel. Electric
lights are fed by power. Power comes
either from falling water or from burn
ing fuel All fuel was once part of
growing plants, which grew only be-
cause the sun shone upon them. water
falls only after it is first raised by the
sun in clouds or waves from the ocean
level.
Twenty years ago, Uncle Joe Cannon
Of Illinois said in the appropriations
committee of the House, In his quaint
emphatic way: 81 don't care a damn
about the stars, that are so far away
that it takes light a thousand years to
come from them, so that If they were
all abolished tonight our great-grand-
children would never know the differ
ence, but everything hangs on the sun,
Sherley, and it ought to be inveSti-
gated. I think this appropriation is all
right"
Probing Sun Rays.
30 we At the Smithsonian Tnstitu-
ton have been investigating sun rays.
One Of our observatories is on q barren
mountain 5000 feet high In the nitrate
desert of Chile. Neither bird, beast,