Evening star., 1938-05-02
MIR. Wolesensky's Questions
Answered by Star Readers
TO the Editor Of The star

To the Editor Of The Star.
Your issue Of April 81 carries letter
from Mr.. Edward wolesensky expressing
his dissent from opinions attributed to a
local scientist. to Sir Oliver Lodge. and
to others concerning mans belief In i'm
mortality. Mr.. Wolesensky states: I'm
science one does not say that he is con-
vinced.' Instead, one describes in detail
the experiments which he has carried
out and the results which he has OBJ
tanned"
How shall we answer this logical man?
Shall We point out that certain sciences
are almost entirely observational sciences
and do not yield to experiment.; for ex-
ample, astronomy and meteorology?
Shall we point out that the scientific
method has limited applicability, being
most useful only in those fields where
one can weigh and measure? And shall
we point out that no scientist has a right
to be hypercritical In a field outside Of
his own speciality? And, finally, shall
we add that it has been said that scien-
fists are often the narrowest- minded OF
people?
Does belief in immortality serve any
good purpose? Has it helped men to live
better lives? Has this belief been a
comfort in hardship, distress and be-
reavement? Has it been an incentive to
a higher humanity? In other words, is
1t useful concept? Remember that use
fulness is the only real demand made of
any scientific hypothesis.
Arc NJ h,lt Hnch ND h1ooH That
and nothing more? Are we really no
different from the animals? Then, why
have not the ants attained a higher
civilization than that we witness in ant
land? Do we expect the seagulls, in the
course OF evolution, to build island en-
pires in the seas, served with radio COM
munication and seagull music by elec-
trical transcription? There u.s. on the
other hand, no limit to our expectations
from the races Of men. Though definite
nnkage to God may be difficult to
establish on the laboratory basis, yet
man Is certainly Godlike in his aspira-
tions and sometimes in his acts.
The evolution Of chemistry and the dis
covery OF the laws of chemical reaction
have promoted view that life is a kind
OF mechanism and consists only of a
continuous series of chemical processes.
like the series in the head of match,
which develop heat and more heat, and
finally light. which CLEANS a while and
dies out. If life is no more than this.
why then have we not read of some
skilled chemist having synthesized a
living organism. just one specimen say.
OF a single-celled protozoan or bac-
terium? If, however, life itself is more
like the light from those reactions which
travels on and on into the depths of space
and eternity, what have chemical laws
to do with these phenomena?
AS for immortality. men have harbored
this belief since. the dawn of history
and possibly before. It is not peculiar
to Christianity alone Is man immortal
and Will the dead rise again? If your
correspondent refers to physical bodies
we must agree that they decay and rot.
beginning within few hours after ami
nation ceases. But If he refers to the
lie from the body, there is no evidence
that the life is buried with tha body. On
the other hand, some believe there is
evidence that the life lives. And. finally,
what about the physical law Of the con-
servatlon OF energy which states that
the amount of energy in the universe is
constant though it may change in form?
RICHARD L. FELDMAN.
East Falls Church, Va.