54 ANNIYERSAEY ADDEES8 



storms on the earth. There is a periodicity in the pointing of the 

 magnetic needle to the north, for a series of years pointing to the 

 east of the north, and for another series to the west of the north. 

 There are also daily magnetic waves on the earth. 



If this view is correct — namely, that the sun is only the receiver 

 and redistributor of force — it must alter our views regarding the sun 

 and the planets. At one time the sun was considered to be a fixed 

 star, and the planets were thought to wander round him. But 

 now he is proved to be himself a planet revolving round some 

 other sun ; and in the same way I think he may not be the only 

 source of force, but that all the planets which have a suitable 

 photosphere may be — in, of course, a less degree — suns ; that is, 

 they may receive the force from space in one form and redistribute 

 it in another. I think this is highly probable with regard to the 

 larger planets, sx rh as Jupiter, and the farther they are from 

 our sun the more piobable is it that they are suns to their satellites. 

 And there are some stars the light from which never has and never 

 will reach us — for from their immense distance their light is 

 lost in transit. The light which is lost in coming to us probably 

 becomes converted into some other form of force. When we survey 

 the heavens and contemplate the number of the stars, we are lost in 

 wonder; but when we consider that this visible universe is perhaps 

 only a small part of the creation, that there are probably systems 

 of stars whose light never can reach us because it will be absorbed 

 or transmuted before it would reach us, our views of nature are 

 greatly enlarged. 



The uses of the suu-force are manifold. I will point out one 

 probable use of it. You are doubtless all of you acquainted with 

 that beautiful little instrument Crookes' radiometer. You know that 

 a force coming from the sun and even from a small candle will make 

 this instrument revolve provided the vacuum in which it is placed 

 is almost as perfect as possible. Now the best vacuum that we 

 can produce is probably most defective when compared with the 

 vacuum of space. "When I speak of the vacuum of space, of 

 course I refer to the absence of ponderable matter, for of course 

 space must be filled with imponderable matter or force. For if 

 force extends from the sun to the earth, it must fill interplanetary 

 space, and if so, interstellar space. Now if the force from a small 

 candle will make the radiometer revolve, the immense power of 

 sun-force may, in some way or other, make the heavenly bodies 

 revolve, being, as they are, in a vacuum. Force may therefore be 

 the cause of motion and also of gravitation. "When electricity — 

 a form of force — is made to pass round an iron bar, it converts it 



