﻿Rowland 
  — 
  The 
  Highest 
  Aim 
  of 
  the 
  Physicist. 
  405 
  

  

  and 
  similar 
  primordial 
  atoms 
  or 
  can 
  we 
  find 
  some 
  other 
  expla- 
  

   nation 
  ? 
  

  

  That 
  the 
  molecules 
  of 
  matter 
  are 
  not 
  round, 
  we 
  know 
  from 
  

   the 
  facts 
  of 
  crystallography 
  and 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  matter 
  in 
  rota- 
  

   ting 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  polarization 
  of 
  light. 
  

  

  That 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  molecules 
  and 
  even 
  of 
  the 
  atoms 
  are 
  

   electrically 
  charged, 
  we 
  know 
  from 
  electrolysis, 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  

   gases 
  in 
  a 
  vacuum 
  tube 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Zeeman 
  effect. 
  

  

  That 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  act 
  like 
  little 
  magnets, 
  we 
  know 
  from 
  the 
  

   magnetic 
  action 
  of 
  iron, 
  nickel 
  and 
  cobalt. 
  

  

  That 
  they 
  are 
  elastic, 
  the 
  spectrum 
  shows, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  vibra- 
  

   ting 
  portion 
  carries 
  the 
  electrified 
  charge 
  with 
  it 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  

   the 
  Zeeman 
  effect. 
  

  

  Here, 
  then, 
  we 
  have 
  made 
  quite 
  a 
  start 
  in 
  our 
  problem 
  : 
  but 
  

   how 
  far 
  are 
  we 
  from 
  the 
  complete 
  solution 
  { 
  How 
  can 
  we 
  

   imagine 
  the 
  material 
  of 
  which 
  ordinary 
  or 
  primordial 
  atoms 
  

   are 
  made, 
  dealing 
  as 
  we 
  do 
  only 
  with 
  aggregation 
  of 
  atoms 
  

   alone? 
  Forever 
  beyond 
  our 
  sight, 
  vibrating 
  an 
  almost 
  infi- 
  

   nite 
  number 
  of 
  times 
  in 
  a 
  second, 
  moving 
  hither 
  and 
  yon 
  with 
  

   restless 
  energy 
  at 
  all 
  temperatures 
  beyond 
  the 
  absolute 
  zero 
  of 
  

   temperature, 
  it 
  is 
  certain 
  ly 
  a 
  wonderful 
  feat 
  of 
  human 
  reason 
  

   and 
  imagination 
  that 
  we 
  know 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  we 
  do 
  at 
  present. 
  

   Encouraged 
  by 
  these 
  results, 
  let 
  us 
  not 
  lingei* 
  too 
  long 
  in 
  their 
  

   contemplation 
  but 
  press 
  forward 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  discoveries 
  which 
  

   await 
  us 
  in 
  the 
  future. 
  

  

  Then 
  as 
  to 
  electricity, 
  the 
  subtile 
  spirit 
  of 
  the 
  amber, 
  the 
  

   demon 
  who 
  reached 
  out 
  liis 
  gluttonous 
  arms 
  to 
  draw 
  in 
  the 
  light 
  

   bodies 
  within 
  his 
  reach, 
  the 
  fluid 
  which 
  could 
  run 
  through 
  

   metals 
  with 
  the 
  greatest 
  ease 
  but 
  could 
  be 
  stopped 
  by 
  a 
  frail 
  

   piece 
  of 
  glass 
  ! 
  Where 
  is 
  it 
  now 
  ? 
  Vanished, 
  thrown 
  on 
  the 
  

   waste 
  heap 
  of 
  our 
  discarded 
  theories 
  to 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  a 
  far 
  

   nobler 
  and 
  exalted 
  one 
  of 
  action 
  in 
  the 
  ether 
  of 
  space. 
  

  

  And 
  so 
  we 
  are 
  brought 
  to 
  consider 
  that 
  other 
  great 
  entity 
  — 
  

   the 
  ether: 
  filling 
  all 
  space 
  without 
  limit, 
  we 
  imagine 
  the 
  ether 
  

   to 
  be 
  the 
  only 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  two 
  portions 
  of 
  matter 
  distant 
  

   from 
  each 
  other 
  can 
  have 
  any 
  mutual 
  action. 
  Bj 
  its 
  means 
  

   we 
  imagine 
  every 
  atom 
  in 
  the 
  universe 
  to 
  be 
  bound 
  to 
  every 
  

   other 
  atom 
  by 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  gravitation 
  and 
  often 
  by 
  the 
  force 
  

   of 
  magnetic 
  and 
  electric 
  action, 
  and 
  we 
  conceive 
  that 
  it 
  alone 
  

   conveys 
  the 
  vibratory 
  motion 
  of 
  each 
  atom 
  or 
  molecule 
  out 
  

   into 
  space 
  to 
  be 
  ever 
  lost 
  in 
  endless 
  radiation, 
  passing 
  out 
  into 
  

   infinite 
  space 
  or 
  absorbed 
  by 
  some 
  other 
  atoms 
  which 
  happen 
  

   to 
  be 
  in 
  its 
  path. 
  By 
  it 
  all 
  electromagnetic 
  energy 
  is 
  conveyed 
  

   from 
  the 
  feeble 
  attraction 
  of 
  the 
  rubbed 
  amber 
  through 
  the 
  

   many 
  thousand 
  horse-power 
  conveyed 
  by 
  the 
  electric 
  wires 
  

   from 
  JSTiagara 
  to 
  the 
  mighty 
  rush 
  of 
  energy 
  always 
  flowing 
  

   from 
  the 
  Sun 
  in 
  a 
  flood 
  of 
  radiation. 
  Actions 
  feeble 
  and 
  

  

  