Abstract
A pamphlet with this title by Sir Oliver Lodge forms one of a series edited by Mr. John Drinkwater and addressed to men of letters. In it Sir Oliver contrasts the indifference displayed by the public and the Press to scientific discoveries made in the 'sixties with the universal interest shown at the present time in such subjects as relativity and the constitution of the stars. For the science of the 'sixties, Sir Oliver confines himself almost entirely to the theory of the electromagnetic field brought forward by Maxwell as the mathematical interpretation of Faraday's lines of force. He uses the words ‘juggled with’ to describe the process by which Maxwell evolved the electromagnetic theory of light from his mathematical expressions. This seems to us an unfortunate choice of words, likely to produce a wrong impression on the minds of readers. The steady progress from Maxwell to present-day wireless is outlined, and Sir Oliver concludes by giving his opinions on current theories. The new doctrine of uncertainty he summarises in the act of observing carries with it inevitably an act of perturbing”, but he denies that this renders events unpredictable. By ‘faith’ only does he accept relativity, but wave mechanics is a healthy infant of great promise.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Science in the Sixties. Nature 130, 125 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130125a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130125a0