Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-12-31

BY DIR. GEORGE GAMOW
Professor OF Theoretical Physics,
George Washington University
~UR EARTH was formed from giant whirl'
y pools of gaseous nebular matter that once
~ surrounded the Sun. And other planets
similar to ours, even outside our own particular
universe, were formed the same way.
Moreover, the similarity of origin leaves us
to assume with more logic than ever, that many
other planets are just as habitabe as ours.
The whirlpool origin hypothesis is the newest,
and mathematically logical explanation of how
Earth Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and all the rest OF
the Suns satellites were originally created.
Most important, the new whirlpool theory OF
planetary birth means that every star in the sky
can, and probably does have, its own system OF
planets just like our Sun. No longer can we
consider ourselves unique in this respect.
believe that the new whirlpool theory OF
planetary evolution finally solves that great
paradox of science which has baffled some of the
most brilliant minds of the past and present.
Astronomy could teach the internal makeup
of stars billions of miles from the Earth and
many other things but astronomy. until now,
could not answer the oldest-and at first sight
the most simple problem of cosmology: How
were the planets made at the very start?
From the interior of Germany being
conquered by the Allies have secured, by devious
channels, the details of the new whirlpool theory
of the origin of solar system 1t is the work
of the astronomer, DR.. Carl Won Weizsacker.
The whirlpool hypothesis says the Sun was
first surrounded by gaseous mantle of cosmic
material Many whirlpoolS formed in these
vapors, swirling eddies millions of miles long.
Out OF original CndOS the larger WIlIlpOOlS
absorbed the smaller ones until the winners
arranged themselves in series of great circular
pathways about the Sun. Where the ma or Whirl-
pools passed one another there was contact at
their edges and in this zone OF friction arose
accumuatonS OF the heavier elements, like iron,
nickel and silicon. These accumulationS finally,
after centuries, became our present planets.
1 have closely studied Weiszackers whirlpool
theory and l have just discussed 1t before the
Washington Philosophical Society, and in this
article 1 wish to explain its significance
An
that probably every star in the sky-seen
unseen-has its own system of planets just like
the one star the Sun, which means most to us
on Earth This is in sharp contrast to older ideas
which led to the Selfnattering conclusion that
our Sun was unique and that it alone, probably,
was the only one in the universe with planets
where life as we know ii could possibly exist.
Under the new Weizsacker theory there is no
reason to assume that there cannot be literally
millions of planets in space where temperature,
atmosphere rainfall, sunlight and the other con-
ditions needed to support life exactly like
those on Earth. If life we know 1t has not
evolved on these planets 1t would be surprising.
To appreciate the brilliance and scope of the
new whirlpool theory of planetary origin realize
that young WeiZsacker has finally challenged
past objections to of the Oldest and most
intriguing suggestions on how planets formed
This the idea of the famed philosopher
of the 18th Century, Emmanuel Kant an idea
put in scientific form by the mathematics OF the
Frenchman Pierre Simon Marquis de Laplace.
Nearly two centuries ago Kant and Laplace pic
tured our Sun a lonely star, surrounded by
fast rotating mantle or veil of gas extending into
space for hundreds of millions of miles.
This solar mantle said Kant and Laplace,
would not be permanent for as 1t cooled IL would
condense into separate Jumps of material going
around the Sun; Jumps that became our planets.
This early theory a fine one for its day
and age and the knowledge of the 18th Century