The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-19
Note The GIow
Bv DR.. w. r. WHITNEY
Scientific research in countless fields is con.
tinually making changes for us.

Scientific research in countless fields is con-
tinually making changes for u.s. 80.
Modern alterations in our concepts of en-
ergy have been very significant Not long ago
we were sure of the conservation OF matter
and also of energy. But that was wrong; those
laws had to be changed The two things are
interchangeable.
Folks have always asked: Are our continu-
ing changes improvements? Do we need all
these new ideas, thoughts, and gadgets? When
human beings finally discover ways to world
peace, to creative happiness, to common
religion of human welfare, and are Intelligent
enough to continue approaching the infinite
creation, then our uphill trail will not have
been too long That's faith calling for works
and I like it.
When iron was discovered, some were sure
it was bad because it made sharper knives
than bronze did. But we found that 1t MADE
stronger bridges. Moreover, we still are max
ing newer steel tools, even rustless ones.
Was it wrong to learn that the flat earth
was really round, and was not the center OF
the universe Gas all but one thought) but went
around the SUM-. Anything less than com
plete freedom to learn new truth would be
terrible. :.
When Franklin and Faraday were curious
about lightning and electricity, were they
wrong?
Think of the discoveries Of arithmetic from
the time when fingers counted as high as we
could go. Then came higher mathematics, IN
Guiding Einstein. Was that wrong? 1t is part
of the uphill way to understanding and ap-
preclatlng creation.
Fifty years ago, at Boston Tech, I was help
ing boys do chemical experiments. We teach
ers had to see that they got something out OF
every exercise. One stunt was to make a
hard-glass test tube by using gas-blast-lamp
and nearly infusible glass. It was a trick to
blow and anneal that tube so it would not
crack when reheated. Then the student filled
his tube with a weighed mixture of flowers of
sulphur and iron powder. They were in the
proportion of 80 and Sc (the respective atomic
weights). One atom of each was to combine
and make molecule of iron sulphide. A little
heat started chain-reaction and bright glow
suddenly moved through the mixture. Then
usually the tube cracked. The boy who had to
write up each experiment and have it cor
rected would often overlook the crack and the
glow. Thousands of times I wrote under that
particular experiment, "Repeat and note the
glow
That forced some fine boy to make another
hard-glass tube and do the sulphide expert
ment all over, merely to note a glow which
he probably saw crack his tube the first time.
To him that was just a regrettable accident.
Hurrying because intrigued by the idea Of
next making that evil smelling sulphuretted
hydrogen from his iron sulpaide, he was I'M
patient Why had that teacher been so mean?
The poor teacher had been forced to insist
on complete and truthful experimental obser-
vations.
Now, after over half century of expert
menting, when I fail at something I still often
say to myself, Repeat and note the glow"
Some apparent accident may be the very
key need and I may be grubbing dirt under
foot when the morning sun is available. An
accidental glow may bring out the golden color
which I want.
Now we are beginning to learn a new sci
ence about nuclear power. This is enormously
more exciting than atomic power (whose little
heatfloWs cracked those tubes). -.
Today, glow means loss of weight Matter
loses mass when it radiates. .
Now consider the glow of the sum- The out
side of the sun has temperature of about
5000 C but its inner temperature reaches 20
million. We can't appreciate that much. Far
below such temperatures things like our iron
sulphide would be decomposed into atom
parts. The high inner sun-temperature is be-
lieved to be due to reactions between nuclear
parts, principally protons and neutrons as
these combine. :.
The difference in mass before and after
their combination is only a fraction of l per
cent of the total mass, but a glow it is
enormous. That weight can account for the
SUMS radiation lasting billions of years This
gives an idea of the magnitude of nuclear
reactions. These neutron-proton reactions can
be looked at as cause and effect of the 20
million degrees temperature which still suits
our ideas that heat is form of motion.
So, whether we like it or not, the fields for
research which are now opening up for us in
the nucleus of atoms will enormously stimu-
late study of fundamentals - of things and of
electricity-and will accelerate scientific pro-
gress to new high.-Christian Science Mont
tor.