Evening star., 1950-02-17
New Thesis Advanced
On Cosmic Rays
Called SEQ Spray Of Oceans
OF Fire on Sturs' Surface
By Thomas X. Henry

Cosmlc rays are the sea spray of storm
tossed oceans of fire on the surfaces Of
the stars
This thesis is advanced by Sir George
Darwin, dean of British physicists, in a
report to Nature, the official organ of the
British Association for the Advancement
of Science
They may result, he says, from the
bursting of bubbles of fire with great
violence as cosmc winds sweep the fiery
oceans Even in the earths oceans, he
points out, bubbles sometimes burst with
great violence. Particles are blown out
with sufficient force to pockmark metal
surfaces. The cosmic fire bubbles may
represent the same phenomenon on far
grander scale, he believes
The hypothesis, he says, is presented
Tor want of better, and calculations
show that it would work There never
has been an adequate explanation for the
mysterious radiation of protons, neutrons
and entire atomic nuclei which fall on
the earth conStantly-the greater part
OF it from the general direction of the
Milky Way. 1t has been held that it
results from exploding stars, from the
total destruction of matter, etc.
1t is obvious, Sir George says, that the
oSAeNA
miles into space from the suns surface
must break down into regions of titanic
Vlolence-Superhurri on the suns
surface. The spray from such a storm
would be thrown outward at velocities of
several thousand miles second.
But the sun, from which some cosmic
radiation is believed to come, is rela-
lively quiet star compared with MANY of
those in the universe
Whales now are being electrocuted
Ihls appears to be the most effective
way OF killing the worlds largest animals
ana already has accounted for several
hundred, according to a report from the
Scott Polar Institute of Cambridge Uni
versity.
Whale electrocution was a German
development just before the war, but now
has been taken up by British and Nor
Weglan hunters and the technique is
being greatly improved
The common method of killing a whale
IN the past has been by harpoon with
an exploding head. 1t is cruel and un-
certain. The sea monster is wild with
agony and is quite likely to escape and
die on the deep sea bottom.
An ideal method, according to the re-
port Of the Polar Institute, would be to
use harpoon head smeared with curare.
the paralyzing South American Indian
arrow poison, which now has found a
place in medicine. This drug, however.
is altogether too expensive Use of the
deadly poison hydrogen cyanide also has
been proposed. 1t is cheap enough but
would be likely to poison the meat, which
now is one of the chief sources of revenue
for the whale hunters.
1t also has been proposed to put the
whale to death with nitrous oxide con-
tanned in an exploding harpoon head.
The gas would diffuse quickly through
the monsters blood and it could be dis
posed of painlessly and leisurely. Some
experiments have been made with this
method.
Electrocution, however, is finding the
most favor. A lethal current generated
on the ship is passed into the whale
through cable carried inside the har-
poon rope. The circuit is completed
through the whales body and the sea
water back to the ship again. The animal
Is made unconscious almost instantly.
The Asdic. British device for locat-
ing submarines. is proving a boon to
whalers. 1t enables them to locate the
animals at distances UP to two miles.