30 LIFE: ITS NATURE AND ORIGIN 



radioactive heat generated in the crust. Something like three-fourths 

 of the present thermal gradient may be attributed to radioactive heat, 

 and the balance to the residual heat of the originally molten globe. 



"(3) Any reasonable interpretation of the laws of heat conduction 

 leads to the conclusion that at moderate depths within the Earth's 

 crust, say a few tens of miles, the temperatures are still very close to 

 the melting points of the rocks at the particular depths. 



"(4) From the foregoing it may be concluded that a relatively small 

 increase in the radioactive content of the Earth's crust at a particular 

 locality will raise significantly the temperatures of the rocks at depths 

 miles below the surface, and may easily bring the temperatures above 

 the melting point, thus maintaining a lava reservoir in that region. 

 In other words, a somewhat greater amount of radium averaged 

 through the vertical extent of the crust (but still very small in absolute 

 magnitude), could account for the existence of a volcanic region. 



"Against this theory, it has been urged that examinations of volcanic 

 lavas and emanations have failed to reveal any striking increase in 

 radioactive elements. It must be noted, however, that since the excess 

 of radium required to produce a volcanic region is proportionally so 

 small in amount, it would be difficult to establish experimentally, 

 without careful sampling; and particularly that the examination of a 

 few samples of rocks would not be conclusive as to the local average 

 radioactive content in a particular region. 



"It must be admitted that the explanation of volcanism on radio- 

 active grounds has not been generally accepted, though some thought- 

 ful geologists and geophysicists have been impressed with the idea. An 

 alternative theory explains volcanism, in part at least, by chemical 

 reactions taking place in the rising lava column. Perhaps the radio- 

 active theory should best be regarded as a subject for further observa- 

 tion and analysis." 26 



The "Atomic Bomb" 



The term "atomic bomb" is a mumpsimus — a Latin word intro- 

 duced into the English language to indicate persistence in obvious 

 error;* it originated in the fact that an old priest who had for 

 forty or more years used this word, refused to change to sump- 

 simus, even when shown the correct word in the prayer book. 

 The correct term is "nuclear fission" bomb. 



It is fortunate for the world and for civilization that we were 

 able to win the feverish race to produce the "atomic bomb"; for 

 our enemies had been making desperate efforts to accomplish this 

 difficult task and to use against us and our allies this most potent 



* Abandonment of such an error is now termed a sumpsimus. 



