The Evolution of the Sciences 



masses. The results obtained on this hypothesis 

 agree very well with Simon and Kaufmann's 1 

 experiments. 



The logical inference from all this is evident. 

 The corpuscle is quite free from matter. It is 

 merely an electric charge moving in the ether. 

 The extent of our knowledge regarding the 

 positive nucleus composing the remainder of 

 the atom is small, but M. Poincare, who is both 

 a great mathematician and an eminent physicist, 

 affirms that if there is no matter in the nega- 

 tive charges the positive charges must also be 

 free from it. Thus the atom has been dematerial- 

 ised, if one may say so, and with it the mole- 

 cules and the entire universe. Matter disap- 

 pears, and we and all that surrounds us remain 

 mere disturbed regions of the ether, determined 

 by moving electric charges. A logical, if un- 

 foreseen, conclusion, because it is by increasing 



1 If i represents the mass of the corpuscle at low speed, 

 the apparent mass measured is as follows : 



For a speed of 220,000 kilometres per second 1.32 



240,000 1.53 



260,000 1.78 



288,000 2.44 



297,000 3.16 



112 



