The Universe a Vast Electric OrganismWarder, Geo. W. (George Woodward)
Science
The Universe a Vast Electric Organism
Warder, Geo. W. (George Woodward)
Science -- Miscellanea
Electrical repulsion keeps our earth and the planets from falling into
the sun. Why? Because our earth and the planets, when they approach
within a certain distance of the sun, may become similarly electrified
to the sun, and are thrown back to their proper and balanced orbit.
Electrical repulsion keeps all satellites from falling into their
primary planets. Why? Because they have like polarities, and are
positive or negative like their primaries, and repulse each other. Thus
each and all the suns, planets and satellites continue in their orbits
of balanced forces, and will always continue and are as eternal as the
laws of electro-magnetism that created and upholds the universe.
The same law applies to comets. Why does the comet, when it approaches
just so near to the sun, dart away so quickly? Because it becomes alike
electrified as the sun, and the law of repulsion strikes it like the
blow of a mammoth triphammer and hurls it in the opposite direction.
This is one reason; there may be others, for the laws of repulsion are
as many and various as the laws of attraction.
The scientists in all ages have been fascinated with fearful, grim and
dismal pictures of the end of the world. Like the theologians who
delighted to paint the tortures of the fiery tophet of their
imagination, the scientists have exhausted their wildest fancy in
picturing the sun consumed with fire, the earth melting with fervent
heat and the final "wreck of matter and the crush of worlds."
The latest display of dismal and excessive fancy on this subject is from
the prolific pen of our most eminent and worthy astronomer, Prof. Simon
Newcomb. It is to be found in McClure's Magazine of May, 1903, which I
have just read, entitled "The End of the World." It is a well written,
imaginative story or article, embracing his theory or hypothesis of the
cause and manner of the world's destruction.
I admire his scholarly style, his great learning, and splendid fancy,
and if I believed in the scientific theories and traditions which he
champions with such an able pen, I should say it was a masterly
presentation of what would occur in sun and earth at some indefinite
future time. But as I have discarded the old scientific traditions I
cannot accept his theories or his fancy picture. It is too dismal for my
optimistic conception of what has occurred or what will occur in this
vast and mighty universe.
He is a worthy successor of Newton and La Place, for he has a vigorous
imagination, which easily scans the future and presents what I deem
antiquated theories, sustained by traditional facts.
Each person lives in a different world and sees a different universe,
according to his knowledge and imagination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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