214 FROM NEBULA TO NEBULA 



The most famous name in the annals of astronomy 

 since Newton is that of Pierre Simon, Marquis de Laplace 

 (1749-1827). The greatest debt we owe him, in my esti- 

 mation, is not his so-called Nebular Hypothesis, not his 

 mathematical contributions to astronomical science, but 

 his specific and authoritative confession that Newton's 

 system is deplorably and fundamentally deficient. I 

 feel sure that the laity of the present day labor under 

 the impression that the foundation provided by Newton 

 was sufficiently broad and substantial to support the en- 

 tire superstructure of the science for all time, but such 

 is very far from being the case, as professional astrono- 

 mers well know. In fact, it is astonishing how little 

 Newton really did explain, when we come to compare his 

 actual achievement with what still remained to be ac- 

 complished; verily was he right when he said, "I know 

 not what the world will think of my labors, but to myself 

 it seems that I have been but a child playing on the sea- 

 shore; now finding some pebble rather more polished 

 and now some shell more agreeably variegated than 

 another, while the immense ocean of truth extended it- 

 self unexplored before me. ' ' Here are a few of the many 

 things he did not explain : 



The origin of the earth's rotation on its axis, and 

 the reason for its continuance. 



The origin of the earth's " rectilinear motion", and 

 the cause of its continuance. 



The origin of the axial rotations and orbital motions 

 of the other planets and of the moon. 



The origin of the sun's axial rotation and equatorial 

 acceleration. 



The genesis of the sun and of the planets. 



Why the moon does not fall in upon the earth, or the 

 earth and planets upon the sun. 



Why the orbits of all the planets are nearly circular. 



Why the planets rotate on their axes in the same 

 direction. 



Why they all revolve around the sun in the same di- 

 rection. 



