100 YEARS AGO

In your report of the meeting of the Physical Society of October 31, I find the following sentence given as having been said by me in the course of some remarks on Mr. Ridout's paper on the size of atoms, with the four words which I underline accidentally omitted. “If the electrions, or atoms of electricity, succeeded in getting out of the atoms of matter, they proceeded with velocities which might exceed the velocity of light, and the body was radioactive.” The omission of those four words made it appear that I had considered the velocity of the escaping electrions to be essentially the velocity of light. In reality, the electrions may escape with velocities possibly less or possibly more than the velocity of light, but certainly not all with one definite velocity... Kelvin

[The official report of Lord Kelvin's remarks was printed as received.— Editor.]

From Nature 4 December 1902.

50 YEARS AGO

The Darwin Medal is awarded to Prof. John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, Weldon professor of biometry in University College, London, for his work on the analysis of the causes of variation and of the mechanism of selection. The conclusions derived from his researches have permeated practically every field of evolutionary discussion, and his ideas have fundamentally altered our knowledge of evolutionary change. For many years he has insisted that a proper study of evolution involves the development of methods for investigation of the genetics of populations. His mathematical treatment of the question was the first of its kind, and has played a large part in the great development of understanding of evolution during the past twenty-five years. He has been a pioneer in applying biochemical knowledge... to problems of genetics. His contributions to strictly genetical problems are fundamental ... He made the first investigations of human mutation-rates (simultaneously with L. S. Penrose), has studied interspecific hybrids and discovered the rule by which their sex is determined. He was one of the first to develop a theoretical treatment of polyploidy and to show its evolutionary significance. He has thus made first-rate contributions by his detailed researches, his mathematical treatments and his general analysis of evolutionary problems, to the field of Darwin's work.

From Nature 6 December 1952.