386 Structure of the Universe 



Scientific Works is entitled: "The Sub-mechanics of the Universe," and 

 is published under the auspices of the Royal Society. This is a work 

 of. pure science, is highly technical, and deals wth the structure of the 

 universe from a dyamical and mechanical point of view, and explains 

 the cause of universs,l gravitation. Combining as Reynolds does the 

 rare gifts of pure science and practical science, we get a tangible 

 definite theory or rather explanation as to the structure of the uni- 

 verse, which is the result of twenty years of experimental and mathe- 

 matical investigation, and which is something very different from the 

 fruitless speculations on gravitation which have been indulged in by 

 many of the speculative philosophers in the past. We have here at 

 last a simple, sensible, dynamical theory of the physical universe and 

 gravitation. The problem, however, as you will realize later, is solved 

 by an apparent paradox. 



Newton Discovered the Law But Not the Cause. 



We are aware of the fact that Newton discovered and enunciated 

 the law of universal gravitation, but he did not discover the cause. 

 Newton proved the law by which all the material bodies in the 

 universe were governed. This law, as you know, states that ail 

 masses of matter in the universe attract each other with forces pro- 

 portional to the masses and inversely proportional to the square of 

 the distance between them. This law governs the smallest particle of 

 matter as well as the mightiest sun in the universe. But, while 

 Newton speculated on the cause .of gravitation, or the reason why 

 bodies act in this way, he was unable to solve the problem. There 

 have been many attempts since the time of Newton to solve the 

 problem. The history of physical science is replete with the baffled 

 efforts of the greatest intellects to find the solution. One has only 

 to read Taylor's "Kinetic Theories of Gravitation" to realize the many 

 fruitless attempts to solve this problem in the last two centuries, and 

 indeed some philosophers came to the conclusion that the problem 

 could never be solved. . There are indications that Fourier and even 

 the great - Laplace considered gravitation as one of the "primordial 

 causes" which might remain forever impenetrable, to. us. 



The Gifts of Pure Science to Practical Science. 



In the eyes of a certain class of people the many long years of 

 toil and patient investigation of the true scientific inyestigator count 

 for nothing unless they immediately bring forth some brilliant, or 

 sensational discovery, or one which can be immediately turned into 

 money. Some people have no use for science unless they can see 

 immediate money in it. We should not forget, however, that the so- 

 called "practical" fellows would very soon have nothing to work on 

 were it not for the researches carried on and the principles discovered 

 by the students of pure science. We have only to reflect on the prac- 

 tical value of Newton's discovery of the law of gravitation. This 

 was a discovery in pure science, and has it not given the world its 

 science of mechanics? Were it not for the mighty Newton and the 

 great Galileo, who, out of their pure love of scientific investigation 

 laid down the laws of motion and pure mechanics, the world could 



