The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-05-02
-Dietz on Science
COSMIC FORCES
HAVE DEFINITE
EFFECT ON LIFE
Earth'S Existence Depends
on Energy From
Outer Space.
BY DAVID DIETZ
Soripps- Howard Science Editor

WASHINGTON, May Our
earth, once thought of as an iso-
lated object in the universe, is now
known to be the target for all sorts
of cosmic forces, many of which un-
doubtedly have a direct effect upon
life.
This new point Of view was de-
scribed here by DR.. w. j. Hum
phreys, famous physicist of the U.
S. Weather Bureau, and chairman
of the American Geophysical Union
which held a three-day session here
recently.
Our earth is in the midst OF
gravity fields, electrical fields and
magnetic fields DR.. Humphreys
said. 1T is bombarded by electrons
and Alpha particles shot out Of the
sun and perhaps out of the stars as
we'll
THE cosmic rays, whose exact
nature is not yet known, lombard
the earth from outer space. I'm
doubtedly there are other radiations
which we have not yet tracked
down.
Night Lights Mystery
For example, there is yet no
adequate explanation for the faint
illumination of the open night sky
which has been discovered by DR..
v. M. Slipher the director of the
Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff,
Ariz."
DR.. Slipher was one of the speak
ers at the opening session OF the
union.
Others included DR.. A. H. Comp
, ton who spoke on cosmic rays and
DR.. Harlan T. Stetson, director OF
the Perkins Observatory, who de-
scribed correlation Of cosmic phe-
nomena with the intensity Of radio
waves.
The new viewpoint of science
might be called "the new astrology.
Scientists themselves will not use
that term because of the supersti-
lions connected with astrology.
But the new viewpoint, while TAX
ing over none of the superstitions
of astrology, does admit that the
sun and stars have many effects
upon terrestrial phenomena which
were previously unsupported.
Suns Energy Greatest
Life on earth owes its existence,
of course, to the heat and light of
the sum-" DR.. Humphreys says.
THE suns energies causes the
winds to blow and the rain to fall
and makes possible the process of
photosynthetics by which plants
grow.
But in addition, we know that
magnetic storms and the aurora
borealis are connected with sun
spots and influenced by electrified
particles hurled out Of the SUM-"
DR.. Stetson has made a study of
the connections between sun spots
and radio reception. He finds that,
when sun spots are most numer-
Gus, radio reception is at its worst.
Moon Also has EIIecC
AS sun spots decrease in number,
radio reception improves. He be-
lieves that this is due to the influ-
ence of the suns radiation upon the
electrified portion of the earth's
atmosphere, the so-called radio
ceiling" or heaviside layer from
which radio waves are reflected.
DR.. Stetson also finds that the
position of the moon in the sky in
fluences radio reception, leading
him to believe that the moons eff
feet upon the earth must be cleo
trical as we'll as gravitational since
apparently the moon effects the
condition of the radio ceiling.
His findings concerning the moon
tend to support theories advanced
in England that the moons surface
may be covered with volcanic ash
which is highly radioactive.