1931-10-21 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1931.

A HUNDRED YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS

"Scientific World Picture of To-day."

BY GENERAL SMUTS.

His Presidential Address to the British Association.

We all realise, and it is unnecex- the machine or mechanistic worlu sary for me to point out, the signi- view dominant since the time of ichner of this Centenary Mecting | Gajileo and Newton, and now, since

It is a mile of our Association. stone which enables us to look back upon a hundred years of scientific progress, such an has no parallel ing history.

to-night.

can

I shall therefore not attempt to į

activities of our Association.

me-

point of departure was renched' when physical science ceased to confine its attention to the things that are observed. It dug down to a deeper level, and below the things that appear to the senses, It found, or invented, at the base of the world so-called scientific en- tities, not capable of direct obser- | vation, but which are necessary to necount for the facts of observa- tion.

energy.

of the electro-

THE

MAIL.

CHINA

THE IRISH FREE STATE.

Military Tribunal to Start Work.

SECRET TRIALS.

These

A WEEK'S DISEASES.

Another Imported Case of Typhoid Fever,

60 TUBERCULOSIS DEATHS.

The official return of diseases! and deaths during the week ond- ed October 17 is na follow! :——

Cases Deatha Typhoid fever Diphtheria Puerperal fever.... Tuberculosis.

5

ג

1

1 60

One case of typhoid fever was imported.

Bummary to October 17,

The returna from January 1 to October 17 give the following Agures:-

Cases Deaths

Typhoid fever Small-pox........ Scarlet fever...***** Diphtheria |Cerebro-spinal foyer

Puerperal tever

170

47

14

1

3

97

33

18

9

15

10

Paratyphoid tøver Tuberculosis

1

2,237

Twenty of the typhoid cases were non-Chinese, as were three

i case, 'onu cerebro-spinal faver case,

and 28 diphtheria cases.

PICNIC FOR BLIND.

CHINA AND JAPAN. scarlet fever cases, one small-pox

· (Continued from Page 1.) between M. Briand and the Chin- ese and Japanese representatives. ns the scheme is still in its om- bryonic stage.

For East Cables Busy, Meanwhile, a brisk exchange of repartee is proceeding in cables from the Far East, both countries sending urgent munications to the secretariat regarding the military situation in Manchuria.

com-

Enjoyable Outing at

Shek 0.

Dublin, Yosterday. Thus, below molecules and atoms The Irish Free State Government still more ultimate entities appear has formally gazetted the Public ed; radiations, electrons and pro- Safety Act. Five high Army Off- alis emerged as clemente which cers have been appointed a mill- underlie and form our world of tary tribunal to hold secret, trials matter. Matter itself, the time; and inflict penalties. honoured mother of all, practically penalties include flogging and disappeared into electrical energy. 'death."'

"The cloud-capp'd towers, the The Tribunal probably will first

gorgeous balacos,

try about a dozen prisoners now in The solemn temples, the great Mount Joy Jail, some of whom are

globe itself;"

concerned with the discovery of a the coming of Einstein, being rea, all the material forms of huge arsenal in a cave in Dublin pinced by a mathematician's con earth and sky and sea were dis- Mountains.

Twelve organisations, including ception of the universe as a sym-solved and spirited away into the

blue of of which no structure

Outstanding, “Irish Republican Army" and among the men who brought about "Friends of Soviet, Russia have It brings us to a point in cuament niodel is possible. The advance from which, we

All these world views have in this transformation are two of my been proclaimed illegal.-Router. confidently look forward to funda- turn obtained currency according i predecessora in this chair (Sir J. J.; mental solutions and discoveries Inas rome well-defined aspect of our Thomson and Lord Rutherford, the near future, which may trans-advancing knowledge has from time Like Prospere, like Shakespearo form the entire neid of science. In to time been duminunt. My object himself, they must be reckoned this second and greater renaissance to-night is to focus attention of the imong the magicians. of the human spirit this Associa sort of world pleture which resulte Revolutionary Innovation. tion and its members have borne &rom the advances of physical bio į

Great as was this advance, it foremost part; to which it would logical and mental science during does not stand alone. Away In the be impossible for me to de justice the period covered roughly by the last century Clerk-Maxwell, follow. |ing up Faraday's theories and ex. Science arose from our ordinary periments, formulated his celebrat review the achievements of this experience and common-sense outed equations century of science, but shall con took. The world of common sense magnetic field, which applied ta tent myself with the simpler under- is a world of matter, of material light no less than to electro-

The Committee responsible for taking of giving a generalised com- stuff, of real separate things and magnetism, and the exploration of

the organisation of the plenie to posite impression of the present their properties, which act on each this fruitful subject led Minkowski

the inmates of the Blind Home, situation in science, The honour other and cause changes in cach to the amazing discovery in 1908

Pokfulam Road, which took place! of presiding over this historic meet other. To the various things ob that time and space. were not

at Shek O on Saturday, announce ing. which was not of my seeking, servable by the sense were added separate things, but co-operative

that the event, favoured as it was and for which I was chosen on the imperceptible things, space and elements in the deeper synthesis of

The Chinese delegation has with ideal weather, turned out to be

There were received a telegram from Nan- 14 great success. than my personal time, invisible forces, life and the pace-time. merits, is indeed an almost" over soul. Even these were not enough,

Thus time is as much of the king embodying

blind girls information

present and they whelming me, and I confidently ap and the supernatural was added to essence of things as space, it en-from Marshal Chang Hsuch-liang thoroughly enjoyed themselves. peal for your indulgence in the dif-the natural world. The original in- ters from

their covering events between October Twenty motor cars, very kindly lent beult task which awaits me to ventory was continually being en- existence as an integral element, 16 and 19, reporting a movementy friends, left the Home at 3 p.m. larged, and thus a complex empiri- Time is not something extra and of Japanese acroplanes, dropping via Repulse Bay. After two hours on the beach, ending with presents I am going to ask the question cal work! view arose, full of latent super-added to things in their be- bombs. tonight; what sort of world pie contradictions, but with a solid haviour, but is integral and basic A telegram from the Japanese being distributed to each of the ture is selence Jending to? Ibasis of actual experience and facts to their constitution. The stuff of Consul at Mukden denies that blind girls, the party returned to science tending towards a definita behind it.

the world is thus envisaged as Japanese 'planes bombed Taung- the Home via Shaukiwan -events instead of material things.

Thanks are lino, or caused fourteen deaths,

very gratefully ex- scientific outlook on the universe,

Frankly Scoptical. and how does it differ from the tra

This physical concept or insight | and reports attacks by Mongols. tended to those who so very kindly Speaking generally, we may say

Civil Planes.

donated money, and to those who ditional outlook of common sense?

that this is substantially still the of space-time is the first revolu- The question is not without its common-sense view of the world tionary innovation, the first com- The Japanese Consul also re-loaned motor cars for the occasion; interest. For our world is closely and the background of our common plete break with the old world of ports that the "six aeroplanes" to Messra. W. R. Loxley & Co. for, & connected with our sense of ultim practical beliefs. How has science common-нense, which has taken seen reconnoitering at Tsungliuo | case of Lux Loilet soap; to Colonel ate values, our reading of the rid- dealt with this common-sense em place since the time of Copernicus. on October 14, must have been Robertson for service, to Dr. T. Y. dle of the universe, and of the|pirical world view? The funda. Already it has proved an instru- civil planes sent to the assistance li for packages of sweete, and to meaning of life and of human des-mental procedure of science has ment of amazing power in the of 28 employees, of a large farm the Hong Kong Hotel for the loan

Com- of tea-urns. tiny. Our scientifle world picture been to rely on sense. observation newer physics. In the hands of an belonging to the Okura will draw its material from all the and to base theory on fact.

Einstein it has led beyond Euclid pany, whose lives were threat- sciences. Among these, physical the vast body of exact science and Newton, to the recasting of the ened by the Chinese. science will-in view of its revolu-arose, and all entities were discard law and the concept of gravitation, tionary discoveries in recent years et which were either inconsistent and to the new relativity concep

tion of the basic structure of the with observed facts, or unnecessary world. for their strict interpretation. How Science Began.

The atomic view of matter was The transformation of the con-Japanese, have rallied sharply on Tung Wah Hospital, Chief Inspec- But no less important will be the

cept of spage, owing to the injec- the receipt of more reassuring contribution of the biological established. sciences with their clear revelation datus in physical order, which is tion into it of time, has destroyed news of Manchuria.

the old passive homogeneous con

Sir Miles Lampson. of organie evolution. And last, new being questioned in the light ception of apace and has substitut-I

Shanghai, Yesterday, not least, the social and mental of the conception of space-time.

Sir Miles Lampon arrived by sciences will not only supply valu- New entities like energy emerged; ed a flexible, variable continuum,

the curvatures and unevennesses air from Nanking this afternoon. old entities like forces disappeared; able material,

esperinily bul.

of which constitute to our senses-Reuter. methods of interpretation, insights the principle of the uniformity of what we call a material world. into meanings and values, without nature was established; the laws of the new concept has made it pos- which the perspectives of our world motion, of conservation, and of,

|ékctromagnetism were formulated;

grounds other

mitcht.

-he u most important source.

Thus

Ether was given a

the first into

T

60

Donations were received from the following:-The Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Japanese Stocks Rally. Southern, Commander Ninnis, R.N., London, Yesterday.. Majur Dowbiggin, Officers' Mesa, On the Stock Exchange, Far | R.A.F, Kai Tack, No. 7 Police Eastern stocks, particularly Mess, Chairman and Directors,

however shattering, to comnin

for Grant, "Raphael," "C" "A Friend," "Anon," Mrs. Ainslie, Mr. H. A. Allen, Mr. W. Allen, Mr. | G S. Archbutt, Mrs. G. D. R. Black, Mr. K. Chang, Mr. M. A. Cooper, | Mrs. W. D. Finnigan, Mr. H. F Green, Mr. E. Mallet, Mrs. Millar, Mrs. G. Millar, Mr. Rogers, Mr. A. Reinshagen, Mrs. Rouse, Mr. J. H. Sutcliff, Mr. Tam Eng Hooi, the Rev. G. T. Waldegrave, the Rev.

The balance not expended will be Miss S. Moritz, forwarded to

course for the purchase of clothing

picture would be hopelessly wrong and on their basis a closed mechan-onditions of curvature in the sense, is not in conflict with and Mrs. L. N. Watkins.

conception of the universe

15

il H

A

a

reason.

Thanks are also oxtonded to the;

sible to construe matter, mass and energy as but definite measurable; Can we from reunion or smetle order of nature was construct. sium of these sciences obtain

Indeed the space-time structure of space-time. Assuming world picture or synoptic view of forming a rigid deterministic

that electro-magnetism will even world is largely a discovery of the scheme. the universe, based on observation

In this scheine it has been dift.tually follow the fate of gravitu- mathematical reason and is an en-Matron of the Blind Home, in due and calculation, which are the ins truments of science, but reaching cult, if not impossible, to fit entities in, we may say that space-time tirely rational world. It is n.world

like life and mind; and the seien will then appear as the scientific where reason, as it were, dissolves for the blind girls or for any other

the refractoriness of the old beyond the particular phenomena

'concept for the only physical which are Its immediate field to a life attitude has on the whole been reality in the universe; and that material substance and smoothes it purposes as may be deemed fit.

to put them to a suspense account

all their out into forms of space-time following for so kindly placing car matter and energy in and to await developments. As to whole?

forms will have disappeared as in Scienec, which began with empiri at the Committee's disposal for the That was how science began in the supernatural, science is or has dependent entities, and will have cal brute facts, seems to be head- occasion: The Hon. Mr. E. D. C. the attempt to find

simple

been agnostic, if not frankly see become more configurations of this ing for the reign of pure reason.

Wolfe, The Hon. Dr. R. H. Kotewall, substances or elements to which the tical. Such, in very general terms,

space-time.

But wait a bit; the next funda-Commander Ninnis, R.N., Chair- complex world of phenomena could was the scientific outlook of the

The Quantum Theory.

mental discovery of our age has man and Directors. Tung Wah Hos in the last analysis advance in the nineteenth century, which has not

This will probably involve an apparently taken us beyond the pital, Chief Inspector Grant, Major methods over which we now look yet completely passed away.

will be noticed that much of the amplified concept of space-time. bounds of rationality, and is thus Somchough. Mrs. F. E. E. Booker. back, with its wonderful advance in]

Einstein has recently predicted even more revolutionary than that Mrs. E. Wilson, Mr. C. Bitzer, Mr. the methods of technique of exact fundamental outlook of common that for further advance a modifi- of space-time. I refer to the quan- C. Blaker, Mr. A. Grossart, Mr. observation, has been a period of sense has thus survived though cation in our space-time concept lum theory, Max Planck's dis- H. P. Lever, Mr. O. Mas, Mr. B. C. specialisation or decentralisation. clarified and purified by a closer will become necessary, and that the covery at the end of the nineteenth Randall. Mr. Wm. T. Tam, and Mr. Have We now reached a point accord with facts.

additional element of direction | century, according to which energy | Trang Fook. where Helence can again. become universal in its ultimate outlook?,

kunte

It:

Seeds of the Future.

will have to be incorporated into la granular, consisting of discrete The Committee wish further to This scientific view retained unit. Whatever change may become grains or quantu. The world' in think all friends who so very kind Has a scientific world-picture be impaired and indeed stressed with necessary in our space-time con-space-time is a continuum, they assisted in various ways before come possible?

a new emphasis the things of com- cept, there can be no doubt about¦ quanta action is a negation of con- and during the pienic, thus helping Of course there can be no final mon sense, matter, time and space, the immense possibilities it has tinuity: thus arises the contradic-, to make it the success that it was. picture at any one stage of culture. [as well as all material or physical opened up.

tion, not only of common BOAKC.

The canvas is as large as the entities which are capable of ob- I pass on to an even more revolu. but apparently also of reason universe, and the moving fingerservation or experimental verifica-tionary advanco of physics. The Itself.

Its deter-

1

of humanity itself will 61 it from tion. Nineteenth contury science space-time world, however novel, age to age. All the advances of is in fact a system of purified knowledge, all new insights gained glorified common sense. from those advances will from time ministic theory certainly gave a to time be blended into that picture. shock to the common man's instinc-| To the deeper insight of every era tive belief in free will; In most of our human advance there has other respects It conformed to the been some such world picture how-outlook of common Bense. It la ever vaguq and faulty. It has been true that its practical inventionsį continually changing with the have produced the most astounding changing knowledge and beliefs of changes in our material civilisa

tion, but noither in its methods nor

man.

i

in its world outlook was there any- thing really revolutionary.

Mugle And Animism. Thus there was the world of magic and animism, which was ful-- But underneath this placid sur- lowed by That of the early nature face, the seeds of the future were gods. There Wud the guacentric germinating. With the coming of world which still survives in the the twentieth century, fundumental world of common sense, There is changen began to act, in. The now

(To be continued).

Commencing RAOUL WALSH'S

A champion Shorthorn hull bas

en, sold at the Agricultural Ex- hibition in Buenos Aires for £2,400.

Sunday.

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