THE BIRTH OF OUR WORLD 7 



epochs of its cooling, break away and form a series of rings 

 comparable to those of Saturn. On account of their more rapid 

 cooling these rings would become condensed, the different 

 substances of which they consisted separating from one another 

 on account of their coefficient of specific heat and the difference 

 between their melting and solidification points, and each ring 

 having thus become distinct would break off. Since, however, 

 the larger masses attract the smaller, the whole process would 

 end in the formation of a globe revolving around the principal 

 mass with a speed equal to that of the molecules of the ring 

 after its isolation, but with an orbit of the same form and 

 dimensions as that of the original ring. Thus the solar system 

 would arise, and its stars scattered in the sky would all represent 

 a more or less faithful repetition of the same process with the 

 exception of the multiple stars which consist of many suns 

 moving round one another in complex orbits. 



These stars are not distributed in a haphazard order. Along- 

 side of the nebulae which possess such a vaporous consistency 

 as to be considered simple stars in process of formation, there 

 are others that only present a nebulous aspect when examined 

 by a slightly magnifying telescope. The more powerful 

 instruments show them to be formed of an infinite number of 

 brilliant points which are manifestly stars. In these nebulae 

 thousands, perhaps millions, of stars comparable to our solar 

 system are assembled ; and they are probably the furthest 

 away of all. Now these nebulae frequently have the regular 

 form of rings. We live in the midst of one of these rings, the 

 Milky Way, and the beautiful stars of our firmament are merely 

 those scattered through the nebular region nearest the sun. 



At this point it may be asked whether beyond what we are 

 able to see, there is really nothing else ; whether there are not 

 other universes separated from us by an absolute unbridgeable 

 void, for could it, indeed, be bridged, it would not be a void ; 

 and also whether these universes are not made of an ether 

 different from our own where our physical laws would have to 

 be replaced by entirely different ones. This, however, we shall 

 never know ; we shall never obtain even a hint of the answer 

 and we must therefore be content to remain enclosed within 

 our own universe, which is already of vast dimensions. It is 

 the only one which we have any chance of knowing. 



Had we announced only half a century ago that we should 



