Evening star., 1942-09-05
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science PROGRESS
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

There may be, literally millions of In
habited planets in the Milky Way galaxy
of stars.
| This is the latest conclusion OF Sir
| James Jeans, perhaps the worlds FORE
most mathematical astronomer, re-
| ported In the Official organ of the British
| Association for the Advancement of
| Science.
Years ago his own researches seemed
to disprove the possibility of life of
any sort on many other places than
the earth. He propounded the theory,
| now generally accepted by astronomers,
that the planets of the solar system
| were created when the sun, now an
average star hurtling at enormous
speed through the universe of stars,
passed close to some other star Enor-
nous tides were raised and great masses
of gas torn loose
These cooled. contracted and become
the present nine planets. Life, in any
sense of the word comprehensive to
man, can exist only on planet Any
star is too hot, or too cold If 1t is a
dead star
Moreover, the planet must be so
situated with respect to the star that
precisely the right conditions obtain.
within very narrow limits. Thus 1t now
Is acknowledged that only the earth, of
the suns nine planets, can support life
of higher order. There is a possibility
of lower orders of life, however, on both
Venus and Mars.
But at the time of Sir James calcula-
tions 1t was determined that the chance
OF the close approach of two stars neces-
sary to tear planetary masses loose from
each other was about one in 1000, 900 900.
There are close to 100 1000 900 900 stars
In the Milky Way galaxy, yet the space
Is so vast that the nearest neighbors
among them are so far apart that it
takes light moving at 10000 miles Sec
ond several years to pass from one to
another. The nearest neighbor of the
sun is approximately five light years
away. A close approach is next to i'm
possible.
When all the factors were considered
1t was found that there could not be
more than eight or ten planetary sys-
TENS in the whole galaxy. And it was
quite unlikely that any one planet
would be SO advantageously situated
as the earth.
Now, Sir James points out, In pro-
pounding his theory he failed to take
INTO consideration the changes in the
size OF the stars. He assumed that the
universe had always existed in essen
TALLY its present form.
Actually star always Is cooling and
contracting. One need only go back
few billion years, he explains tn roach .
point Where the sun must have occupied
thousands OF times the space it now
nlls-When 1t must have filled all the
space included In the present orbit of
the planet Uranus Most of the other
stars must have been proportionately
larger than they are now.
These calculations lead To tho st,r+-
ling conclusion that then the chances ~
near collision which would raise plan
reproducing tides were 1900 900 times
greater than at present. More planets
would be born in 100 years than in
zooo,oOo,ooo years under present con-
ditions.
ihls leaves no escape, he saws. from
the conclusion that countless other stars
must have planets capable of supporting
any kind of life known on earth.
Life must be incomparably more
abundant than we have thought" he
concludes.
A serious increase in contagious dis
eases after the war is anticipated bv
the International Health Office of the
League of Nations, which continues IN
function.
considerable increase in malaria must
be expected in Southern Eurone Africa
and the Far East, says League report,
owing to the movements of troops and
refugees and the consequent minglinp
OF receptive individuals with those who
are infected.
Also, the report continues. "there will
be serious increase in the Incidence of
tuberculosis as result of the Industrial
effort called for by the war and of the
1000 shortages which already can be OBJ
served. This increase Is bound to con-
tlnue as long as the war lasts.
The Housing Commission NAV be re-
CURED to undertake an immense task in
the work of reconstruction. In the East
the hostilities will be found inevitably
70 have produced insanitary conditions
tnat Will be all the more serious because
of the peStiIentiaI diseases of r,hi,l, 49,