240 

Prof. Michelson’s Work in Astronomical 
Interferometry. 
M® POST-WHEELER, who is on the staff of 
the American Embassy, attended at the 
annual general meeting of the Royal Astronomical 
Society on February 9 to receive the gold medal on 
behalf of Prof. A. A. Michelson, who was unable to be 
present himself. . aes 
Prof. Eddington gave a most illuminating address 
on the reasons of the award, explaining that the 
necessity for the great separation of the mirrors re- 
ceiving the pencils of light from the stars was to give 
sufficient difference of length of path to enable the 
rays from the two extremities of a diameter of the star 
to be in opposite phase, so that the bright regions of 
the image from one extremity should fall on the dark 
regions of the other and so cause the fringes to vanish. 
It was mentioned that the method had been success- 
fully applied to the measurement of the diameters of 
Jupiter’s satellites, but the stars seem to have been 
considered hopeless, till recent physical work on the 
distribution of energy in the spectrum led to the con- 
clusion that the red stars have such dull surfaces that 
the brighter ones must have appreciable discs in order 
to give so much light. 
The actual figure had been calculated for Betel- 
geuse, and the observed diameter afterwards proved 
to be very close to it. 
Some letters from Mr. Pease were read, in which he 
described the great practical difficulties that were 
incurred in applying the method of diffraction fringes, 
and the long-continued trials that were finally crowned 
with success. One of the earliest successes was the 
determination of the orbit of Capella. This gave, for 
the first time, a really accurate value of the mass and 
absolute magnitude of a giant star, which had already 
proved of use in the physical studies that were being 
made on these bodies. 
A recent interesting development of the Betelgeuse 
measures was that the diameter came out different at 
different times, to an extent much beyond the probable 
errors of the measures. Attempts were being made 
to correlate these changes with the variable bright- 
ness and variable radial velocity of the star, but it 
will be necessary to carry on these measurements 
for some time before a definite conclusion could be 
reached. 
Prof. Eddington went on to point out that the 
famous Michelson- Morley experiment, for which 
the Copley medal of the Royal Society was awarded 
in 1907, though not specially contemplated in the 
present award, might be considered as coming within 
its terms ; for the measures were made by interference 
methods, and the question whether the movement of 
the earth through the ether could be detected was one 
of the highest astronomical interest. He knew that 
their medallist was disappointed at the negative result, 
but the whole of the system of relativity had been 
founded upon it, so that in his (Prof. Eddington’s) 
opinion it was more fruitful than a positive result 
would have been. 
In handing the medal to Mr. Post-Wheeler he asked 
him to transmit to Prof. Michelson their congratula- 
tions on his success and their good wishes for the long 
continuance of his fruitful labours. Mr. Post-Wheeler 
replied in a few suitable words expressing his sense of 
the pleasure it gave him to be there as the representa- 
tive of America, and thanking the Society for the 
honour they had conferred upon his country in the 
person of Prof. Michelson. 
NO. 2781, VOL. IIT | 
“NATURE 

[ FEBRUARY 17, 1923 _ 

University and Educational Intelligence. — 
BirRMINGHAM.—The Mitsui family of Japan has 
made a gift of 5000/. to the faculty of commerce. 
tion of a chair of finance which, in view of the 
personal connexion of the Mitsui family with the 
university and of their generous contribution to its 
funds, is to be designated the Mitsui professorship of 
finance. : 
Mr. F. W. M. Lamb has been appointed assistant 
lecturer in pathology. 
At the annual meeting of the Court of Governors, 
the principal appealed for more assistance from the 
districts surrounding the city. These districts at 
present contribute only 3500/. per annum to the 
university as against 15,000/. given by the city, 
although half the students come from outside the 
city. ty 
CAMBRIDGE.—Mr. J. B. S. Haldane, New College, 
Oxford, and Trinity College, has been appointed Sir 
William Dunn’s reader in biochemistry. Mr. A. 
Hutchinson, Pembroke College, has been appointed 
University lecturer in crystallography. Dr. 
Shearer, Clare College, has been appointed University 
lecturer in embryology. 
MANCHESTER.—The following lecturers have been 
appointed : physics, Dr. J. C. M. Brentano; engineer- 
ing, Mr. H. W. Baker ; biological chemistry, Mr. A. 
D. Ritchie. 
Oxrorp.—The vice-chancellor has appointed Sir 
Archibald E. Garrod, Regius professor of medicine 
and student of Christ Church, to act as deputy 
for the current term to Dr. Rudolph A. Peters, 
fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, 
who has recently been elected Whitley professor of 
biochemistry in succession to the late Prof. Benjamin 
Moore. 
The Weldon memorial prize, which was founded 
in 1907 by friends of the late Prof. Weldon, to 
perpetuate his memory and to encourage biometric 
science, has been awarded to Dr. Johannes Schmidt, 
director of the Carlsberg Laboratory, Copenhagen. 
This prize is awarded every three years, without 
regard to nationality, sex, or membership of any 
university, to the person who, in the judgment of 
the electors, has, in the six years next preceding 
the date of the award, published the most note- 
worthy contribution to biometric science. Previous 
recipients of the prize have belonged to St. Andrews, 
London, and Washington University, St. Louis. On 
one occasion it was awarded to a lady, Miss Ethel M. 
Elderton, fellow of University College, London. 
SHEFFIELD.—Mr. W. Vickers has been appointed 
lecturer in education and master of method. 

Pror. R. V. WHEELER, professor of fuel technology 
in the University of Sheffield, has been awarded the 
Greenwell medal of the North of England Institution ~ 
of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, for his researches 
on coal. 
THE first of a special series of lectures on “‘ Master 
Minds and their Work,” arranged in connexion with 
the London County Council’s scheme of lectures 
for teachers, was delivered at King’s College on 
February 14 by Dr. Charles Singer, whose subject — 
was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). The object 
» 
The; 
Council has decided to apply the gift to the founda- 

