232 COSMOGONIC HYPOTHESES. 



its Spectrum. The answer, under the new hypothesis, is that such 

 stars no longer contain substances of higli atomic weight, as these 

 substances have disintegrated into the simpler gaseous elements. 



One cannot imagine the process (in a universe tending to 

 uniformity and to a maximum of entropy) by which a simple gas, 

 such as nebulium is, can be transformed into complex atoms con- 

 taining enormous stores of energy. The reverse process seems 

 to be a more fitting one ; it starts with heterogeneity and finishes 

 with homogeneity. 



In short, Laplace's nebular hypothesis as a representation 

 of nature is quite untenable, as it is contrary to observation and 

 to known chemical and thermodynamical laws ; in spite of this, 

 literally volumes of mathematical deductions (but not by its 

 author) have been drawn from it. 



I have added a list of references to various modern authorities 

 whose views have influenced my own ; some numerical results 

 have been quoted. 



REFERENCES. 



Brun_, a. — Recherches sur I' Exhalaison volcanique. Geneva, 



191 1. A brief notice of Brun's researches will be found in 



the Britannica Year Book, 1913, p. 106. 

 Barnard. — The Temporary Stars. On the present appearance 



of some of these bodies. Astronomische Nachrichten 



No. 4655, 19 1 3, May 20. 



Nova Cygnus, 1876: Its appearance is distinctly hazy. 



Nova Auriga, 1891 : Its image is ill-defined. 



Nova Sagittarius, 1898: It is always hazy and ill-defined. 



Nova Lacerta, 1910: It presented the appearance of a very 

 small nebula, less than 2 inches in diameter, of a bluish-white 

 colour. 

 Chamberlin, T. C. — Journal of Geology. 191 1, Vol. xix. In a 



paper in this volume, the author points out how his planetesi- 



mal hypothesis has been strengthened by the discovery of 



radio-activity. 

 Chamberlin , Moulton and others. — Contributions to Cos- 

 mogony and- the Fundamental Problems of Geodesy — The 



Tidal and Other Problems, 1909. 



This is a remarkable work, which is published under cost 

 price by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, but it is so 

 poorly advertised that its circulation is far below its real merits. 

 For this reason, I venture to quote some of the conclusions 

 reached in it. 



Chamberlin : — " The application of the most radical and the 

 most rigorous method of estimating the frictional value of the 

 present water-tides . . . seems to show that they have only 

 a negligible influence on the Earth's rotation. . . . The tides 

 of the lithosphere are chiefly elastic strains, and have little retarda- 

 tive value. . . . The accelerative forces seem to be also 

 nesflisfible. . . . There has been no such change in the rate 



