SOME PHYSICAL PROBLEMS 



the present one in brilliancy. As a mere spectacle, 

 therefore, this new star was of great interest ; but a far 

 greater importance attaches to it through the fact that 

 it conforms so admirably to the course that meteoritic 

 hypothesis would predict for it. "That is what con- 

 founds my opponents," said Professor Lockyer, in 

 talking to me about the new star. " Most of those who 

 oppose my theory have not taken the trouble to make 

 observations for themselves, but have contented them- 

 selves with falling back apparently on the postulate 

 that because a theory is new it must be wrong. Then, 

 outside the scientific world, comparatively few people 

 appreciate the extreme parsimony of nature. They 

 expect, therefore, that when such a phenomenon as 

 the appearance of a new star occurs, the new-comer 

 will establish new rules for itself and bring chaos into 

 the scientific world. But in point of fact nature 

 never does things in two ways if she can possibly do 

 them in one, and the most striking thing about the new 

 stars is that all the phenomena they present conform 

 so admirably to the laws built up through observation 

 of the old familiar stars. As to our particular theories, 

 we here at South Kensington" it will be understood 

 that this use of the editorial "we" is merely a modest 

 subterfuge on the part of Professor Lockyer "have 

 no regard for them at all simply as ours. Like all 

 scientists worthy the name, we seek only the truth, 

 and should new facts come along that seem to antago- 

 nize our theory we should welcome them as eagerly as 

 we welcome all new facts of whatever bearing. But 

 the truth is that no such new facts have appeared in 

 all these years, but that, on the contrary, the me- 



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