Evening star., 1937-05-01
HELL" NOT So HOT,
SCIENCE DECLARES
Dr.. McNish Tells Geophysica
Union Heat Effect, on
Magnetism.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.

BY IHOMAS n HENRY.
"Going to he'll" might not be 50
tough as it sounds.
The physical he'll Of the ancients
was q place IN the center OF the
earth, a place Of everlasting fire and
molten birthstone, where damned
souls burned eternally. The concept
had some support from the fact that
out Of the depths came the lava of
volcanoes.
1t would still be highly uncomforta-
ble-a matter of 1000 degrees-but not
so bad as it has been pictured accord
ing to data presented before the
American Geophysical Union yester-
day by DR.. A. G. McNish Of the ter
restrial magnetism laboratory Of the
Carnegie Institution Of Washington.
DR.. McNish based his contention on
the fact that If the center Of the earth
was as hot as has been claimed the
magnetic phenomena Of the planet
would be very different Iron loses its
magnetism when heated to extreme
degrees. The core of the earth, 1t IS
generally recognized by geologists, is
made up Of iron or some similar min
eral.
Globe Powerful Magnet.
The globe, DR.. McNish pointed out,
actually is a very powerful magnet.
He said:
Absence of any satisfactory theory to
account for the earth's magnetic con-
ditions consistent with the view that
the interior Of the earth is at high
temperature calls into question the
validity OF the temperatures assigned
TO it. 1t is indicated that large fluc-
tuations occur in the magnetic condi-
ton OF matter at great depths, which
progress rapidly with respect to geo.
logical time. These changes are not
consistent with the view that the
earth's interior Is static. Study Of the
magnetic fields arising from electric
currents induced by daily variations
and magnetic storms leads to the in
ference that at depths OF 200 kilometers
the electric conductivity arises greatly
relative to that of the surface rocks.
II the heat and electrical conductive
ties follow the supposed relationship.
temperatures Of the interior Of the
earth may be considerably lower than
Is ordinarily supposed.
DR.. w. D. Lambert of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey described recent
conclusions on the core of the earth
from observations OF gravity. 1t ap-
pears, he said, that the earth, on
the average, is twice as rigid as steel
and that this rigidity may be chiefly
in the layers down to depths OF about
5000 kilometers." This would leave
open, he stressed. the possibility that
the center of the earth Is liquid.
Transmutation Costly.
The old alchemists sought to change
lead into gold. This can be achieved
by the new physical methods, in in
finitesimally minute quantities and at
enormous cost. Physicists from halt
dozen laboratories told Of such trans
mutations as iron into cobalt and
magnesium, oxygen into fuorine and
arsenic into bromine. More practical
was the Tansmutation of such ele-
ments as aluminium, titanium, barium
lanthanum and cerium into radioact-
I've materials, hitherto unknown in
the world, which may even have some
significance in medicine.
The new alchemy consists Of bom-
harding the elements, at tremendous
voltages, with dueterium-the heavy
hydrogen first found at the Bureau
OF Standards-or with alpha particles,
which are shot out by radium.
Some Of these stick In the atomic
nuclei which they hit, at the same
time knocking out particles from the
nuclear masses, with the result that
the element, supposedly immutable,
changes into something else.
A science Of society which can keep
pace with the physical sciences which
in the last few decades have revolu-
tionized mans ways Of life, was urged
at the annual banquet Of the Ameri-
can Physical Society at the Raleigh
Hotel last night by David Sarnoff.
president of the Radio Corp. OF
America.
Danger to Civilization.
Otherwise, Mr.. Sarnon stressed,
"nany of the gifts of science and
industry are in the nature Of two
edged sword which may turn out to
be a weapon with which civilization
may destroy itself"
The advance OF this new social
science, he said, calls for the crea-
tive imagination Of Newton and q
Maxwell, and Edison and q Marconi.
Obsolescence is factor in social as
well as industrial machines and to
stand still is to 90 backward"
III the cause Of civilization Is to be
advanced on a permanent basis" he
continued, I'VE must learn to follow
procedure similar to that Of the
experienced surgeon. We must not
be afraid to operate, but it is vitally
important to know when to operate
and when to advocate a less spectacu-
lar and safer treatment. One de-
cision may require as much courage
as the other"
While drastic measures may be nee
essary, Mr.. Sarnoff emphasized, ANY
measure OF unemployment relief OBJ
tanned by placing checkrein upon
technology or by arbitrarily hamper
ing mans efficiency is unsound, un-
economic and cannot endure"