100 YEARS AGO

In this brochure, Mr Moxly expresses his dissatisfaction with the theory of the tides, as ordinarily accepted, and submits an alternative explanation. Although he opposes the views generally held, he does not exhibit that spirit of antagonism and adopt the language of abuse that too frequently disfigures the writings of those who dissent from authoritative teaching. ⃛ The author considers that the tides are heaved up by the earth;s gravity. The differential attraction of the sun and moon simply gives an opportunity for the earth;s gravity to display itself in this manner. This action is illustrated by reference to a football. When the leathern covering is injured, or a seam gives way, the inner india-rubber case bulges out through the opening in the outer cover. “The pressure of the outer case had been removed from one region of the ball, and the pressure of the part which remained did the rest. This, I take it, is exactly how the pressure of the earth;s gravity produces the tide.” We are all prepared to admit with the author, that the tide-raising force is directly opposed to the action of the earth;s gravity, though we might not adopt his phraseology. But another elementary proposition shows that the tide-raising force varies inversely as the cube of the distance from the disturbing body, and we fail to derive this from the football illustration ⃛

From Nature 17 March 1898.

50 YEARS AGO

For two hundred years, popular writers have attacked traditional religious beliefs in the name of science and pretty well undermined the faith of the plain man. Now, however, the sceptical attitude is turned against science itself, at a moment when, thanks to recent developments of physical theory, science appears vulnerable intellectually and, thanks to recent developments of military and political technique, still more vulnerable morally. Modern men, finding themselves with nothing to put their faith in, fill the spiritual vacuum with bogus religion based on bogus science, like Nazism and Communism. Even the more modest alternative, the assurance that all problems are technological and that the salvation of mankind depends on bigger and better gadgets, is not entirely satisfactory.

From Nature 20 March 1948.