158 



KNOWLEDGE. 



December. 1911. 



light elements becomes so excessi\'e. thnt they escape 

 not mereh" the new star, but the intluence of the 

 three stars. A high-velocit\' atom escapes the \ery 

 cosmic system of \\hich it is a part, and \\anders away 

 to the empty parts of space. .\11 the while it is doing 

 work against the gravitation of the cosmic s\'stem it is 

 escaping from, and it will linger in the [)ortions of 

 space \\ here there is a minimum of matter. Thus is 

 matter distributed. Sometimes again three stars 

 a(jproach one another and in the manner described in 

 '■ The Birth of Worlds and Systems "" one of the 

 three mav acquire a speed of sufficient power tn 

 project it bevond the limits of the cosmic system of 

 which it is a member. There are other agencies by 

 which material is carried out of systems, so that the 

 process of rolling up of suns into bigger and bigger 

 suns is not the onlv mode of the mechanism of the 

 universe. Just as we saw that impact is not a 

 random, chance, or accidental occurrence, but a 

 definite law of nature, do not these distributing 

 agencies show that there is a law tending to a con- 

 stant rough equalit\- in the distribution of matter? 



Elevation of Degr.vded Energy. 

 It is now our task to ascertain if any law exists 

 b\- which the degraded energy that we call low 

 temperature heat, can be raised into that highest 

 form of energv which is known as the potential 

 energ\- of separated gravitational masses. What 

 becomes of this torrent of vibrator\- energy that is 

 pouring out from the hundred million suns of our 

 s\'stem ? It probably travels to enormous distances : 

 it is exceedingh' likely that it will ultimately fall on 

 the dust of space and waiin it, and, if there were no 

 other agencies, give us the condition that Kel\-in 

 deduced, and the Germans named " warm deatli." 

 But another exceedingly complex series of factors 

 must apparently be brought into play. Bodies, 

 whether dense masses or isolated light atoms, w hen 

 not entrapped into orbits must occupy but very 

 little time at high velocit\-. As the speed grows less 

 the duration grows greater, until when nearly at rest 

 they must occupy durations that are almost 

 immeasurable. Xow a particle of gas at rest is at 

 absolute ^ero. So that much of the free molecular 

 matter of space must be very cold, as it is moving 

 slowly. A slowly moving particle of helium or 

 hydrogen coming in contact with a warm particle of 

 cosmic dust will acquire its temperature, and this heat 

 will become 'molecular motion, and the molecule ^^■ill 

 leave the particle with an increased velocitv. This 

 increased velocit\' will cause it to travel away, often in 

 the direction that will convert its atomic motion into 

 potential energv of gravitation. Coming nearly to 

 rest again the process will be repeated, until, as a 

 final result, the molecule will wander until it reaches 

 the position of high potential in space, where it will 

 necessarily linger longer than anywhere else. 



Another Aggreg.^tinc, A(;ency besides 



Gravitation. 

 In a position where bodies moving indiscriminately 

 linger longest, there they tend to accumulate. In 



1.S79, when this principle was first detected, it was 

 called the .Aggregating Power of the Position of High 

 Potential. This principle, which no mathematician 

 has e\-er disputed, and which one of our ablest has 

 called "a mathematical vera causa." shows us that 

 we have a second aggregating tendency in nature 

 in addition to gravitation. Do we not again perceive 

 another law of nature tending to elevate degraded 

 energ\- so that it shall be jierpetually available for 

 the purposes of life eternal ? Do not these three 

 laws of nature, added to our former knowledge, 

 show us a cosmos infinite and deathless ? First we 

 have the set of agencies that produces the construc- 

 ti\e impact of cosmic bodies and S}"stems ; then the 

 one that tends to distribute as well as aggregate 

 matter: and, lastly, this complex series of agencies, 

 made up of the high kinetol of light atoms, the eleva- 

 tion of degraded energy, and the aggregating power of 

 the position, of high potential. The whole gives us 

 a series of wonderful laws of nature that, together, 

 present us with the possibilities of an immortal 

 cosmos of infinite extension and perfection of design. 



Till-: Tni:oKY a Demonstrated Deduction. 



I-'inallv comes the question : Is this beautiful 

 optimistic picture of the Cosmic scheme a true one? 

 Grant grazing impact and, as Sir David Gill has 

 stated, the idea of the formation of the third body is 

 true. \\'hen we consider the dozen agencies that 

 tend to produce impact we cannot doubt its happen- 

 ing. Even did we, without e\'idence, doubt, when we 

 consider the coincidence between deduction and 

 observation e\'er\' trace of doubt absolutely dis- 

 appears. It is (juite certain that Nova Persei was 

 the third bod\- produced by the graze of suns. 

 Every thermod^namical, chemical and physical 

 deduction made thirt\'-tliree years ago, has been 

 confirmed. Sudden apjiearance. rapid increase in 

 brillianc\", (]uick disappearance, all agree. Everj^ 

 character of the abnormal light curve agrees. Every 

 one of the series of complex spectra tells the tale 

 of the ph\-sical changes of nucleus and ensphering 

 shells in exquisite minuteness of corresponding 

 detail. The star, as was deduced, passed into the 

 planetary nebula stage. .\ny one of these striking 

 confirmations, in the al)sence of opposing evidence, 

 would suffice for a demonstration. \Miat shall we 

 say when we tliink of the fact that the several 

 different series all correspond in each and in every 

 step ? 



Novae Demonstrated to be Third Bodies. 



Hence, emphaticall}-. Nova Persei was a third 

 body, and as all novae arc so typicall)- alike in 

 their man\' characteristics, we must infer that all 

 novae are the exploding third bodies struck from 

 grazing suns. 



Then take the mass of evidence that variable and 

 double stars are the torn suns, and again how over- 

 whelming is the evidence. Ever}- deduced salient 

 liliysical feature has a representative in fact, often 

 m a multiplicit)- of confirming facts. Why should 



