﻿SOLAR 
  ENERGY 
  — 
  SPOEHR. 
  185 
  

  

  must 
  be 
  evident 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  already 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  much 
  knowledge 
  

   which 
  can 
  find 
  immediate 
  application 
  to 
  this 
  problem. 
  As 
  the 
  basis 
  

   of 
  agriculture, 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  photosynthesis 
  needs 
  development 
  and 
  

   clarification. 
  As 
  the 
  only 
  known 
  photochemical 
  reaction, 
  proceed- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  the 
  visible 
  spectrum, 
  in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

   potential 
  energy 
  of 
  the 
  products, 
  photosynthesis 
  serves 
  as 
  a 
  guide 
  to 
  

   the 
  utilization 
  of 
  solar 
  energy. 
  Although 
  the 
  chemical 
  reactions 
  

   constituting 
  the 
  photosynthetic 
  process 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  highly 
  complex 
  and 
  

   intricate 
  nature, 
  sufficient 
  investigation 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  

   conclusion 
  that 
  the 
  problem 
  is 
  amenable 
  to 
  physico-chemical 
  treat- 
  

   ment. 
  However, 
  no 
  single 
  academic 
  division 
  of 
  science, 
  such 
  as 
  

   botany, 
  chemistry, 
  or 
  physics, 
  is 
  of 
  itself 
  sufficiently 
  rich 
  in 
  concepts 
  

   and 
  methods 
  to 
  attack 
  the 
  problem 
  adequately. 
  The 
  most 
  promising 
  

   outlook 
  for 
  success 
  in 
  this 
  field 
  would 
  be 
  offered 
  through 
  an 
  organi- 
  

   zation 
  by 
  which 
  information 
  from 
  the 
  various 
  allied 
  fields 
  can 
  be 
  col- 
  

   lected 
  and 
  focused 
  on 
  the 
  chemical 
  and 
  energy 
  changes 
  taking 
  place 
  

   in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  photosynthesis. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  academic 
  

   division 
  of 
  the 
  sciences 
  and 
  the 
  variety 
  of 
  special 
  training 
  which 
  is 
  

   requisite 
  for 
  such 
  an 
  undertaking, 
  cooperative 
  effort 
  offers 
  the 
  only 
  

   rational 
  method 
  of 
  advance. 
  

  

  Photosynthesis 
  is 
  essentially 
  a 
  problem 
  of 
  energy 
  transfer. 
  Those 
  

   aspects 
  of 
  the 
  problem 
  involving 
  the 
  changes 
  of 
  material, 
  the 
  rates 
  

   ?f 
  these 
  changes, 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  occur, 
  require 
  

   the 
  methods 
  and 
  conceptions 
  of 
  organic 
  chemistry 
  and 
  physiology. 
  

   In 
  order 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  kinetics 
  of 
  these 
  same 
  reactions 
  and 
  the 
  

   mode 
  of 
  energy 
  transfer, 
  a 
  very 
  different 
  method 
  of 
  experimenta- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  required. 
  These 
  latter 
  lead 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  fundamental 
  prob- 
  

   lems 
  of 
  radiochemistry 
  and 
  require 
  the 
  most 
  advanced 
  methods 
  of 
  

   physical 
  experimentation. 
  

  

  Has 
  not 
  science 
  here 
  a 
  unique 
  opportunity 
  to 
  lead 
  the 
  way 
  in 
  real 
  

   cooperation 
  and 
  to 
  demonstrate 
  its 
  true 
  democratic 
  value? 
  

  

  The 
  embryo 
  of 
  a 
  seed, 
  during 
  its 
  first 
  days 
  after 
  sprouting, 
  lives 
  

   upon 
  material 
  stored 
  for 
  it 
  by 
  the 
  parent, 
  until 
  it 
  gains 
  strength 
  and 
  

   becomes 
  an 
  independent 
  plant. 
  Throughout 
  nature 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  

   nurtured 
  and 
  protected 
  until 
  they 
  can 
  care 
  for 
  themselves. 
  So 
  man 
  

   has 
  had 
  his 
  great 
  patrimony 
  of 
  fuel 
  to 
  help 
  him 
  in 
  his 
  first 
  faltering 
  

   steps 
  to 
  dominion 
  over 
  his 
  environment. 
  As 
  he 
  grows 
  in 
  intellectual 
  

   stature, 
  he 
  must 
  meet 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  physical 
  necessity, 
  a 
  problem 
  

   of 
  energy 
  pure 
  and 
  simple, 
  ere 
  he 
  can 
  aspire 
  to 
  true 
  independence. 
  

   The 
  great 
  contribution 
  of 
  the 
  nineteenth 
  century 
  was 
  the 
  establish- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  doctrines 
  of 
  energy. 
  To 
  the 
  twentieth 
  falls 
  the 
  task 
  of 
  

   freeing 
  us 
  from 
  our 
  economic 
  placenta. 
  

  

  