Professor Einstein's Visit to the United States Source: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 12, No. 5 (May, 1921), pp. 482-485 Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/6396 . Accessed: 03/05/2014 02:44 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . American Association for the Advancement of Science is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Scientific Monthly. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.132.123.28 on Sat, 3 May 2014 02:44:41 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Transcript
Professor Einstein's Visit to the United StatesSource: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 12, No. 5 (May, 1921), pp. 482-485Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/6396 .
Accessed: 03/05/2014 02:44
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
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American Association for the Advancement of Science is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve andextend access to The Scientific Monthly.
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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE PROFESSOR EINSTEIN'S VISIT
TO THE UNITED STATES Plans have been under considera-
tion for lectures by Professor Eini- stein in the United States, but his arrival at the beginniing of April on a mission to promote the Zionist movement was a surprise. He is ac- companied by Professor Chaim Weizinann, director of the chemical research laboratories of the British Admiralty during the war, now head of the World Zionist Organizationi, and two other leaders in the movt- lienit. Professor Einstein is reported
to be especially interested in the es- tablishment of a University of Jeru- salem anld to be ready to take part in its work, but it is not likely that he will leave Berlin permanenltly. Professor Bergson has denied the re- port that he would leave Paris to become professor at Jerusalem.
Arrangements were promptly made for scientific lectures by Professor Einstein at several universities, the first being appropriately given at Co- lumbia University, which awarded to him last year the Barnard Medal on the recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences. Four lectures have been given at the College of the City of New York and a series of five lectures is announced to be given at PrinceLon University from May 9 tO I3. Scientific men are invited to attend the Princeton lectures; those wishing to do so should write to Pro- fessor H. A. Thompson.
It is satisfactory that there should be such widespread popular interest in Professor Einstein and his work. In the article on the History of Mathematics by Professor Ernest Brown in the present issue of the AIONTHLY and in the article on the History of Physics by the late Pro- fessor Andrews Henry Bunmstead in the last issue will be found state- ments of Professor Einstein's con-
trih-utions in their historic contilluity. An article on the Theory of Re,t- tivity hy Professor E. 13. Wilson was printed in the issue of the MONTHLY for March, I920. In the issue of Nature for Fehruary I7 last will he foundl a series of articles on all as- pects of the theory of relativity. Pro- fessor Einstein himself contrihutes an article on the development of his theory in which he writes:
The development of the special theory of relativity consists of two main steps, namely the adaptation of the space-time 'metrics" to Max- well's electro-dynlamics, and an adaptation of the rest of physics to that altered space-time "metrics." The first of these processes yields the relativity of simultaneity, tlhe in- fluence of motion on measuiring-rods anld clocks, a modification of kine- matics, and in particular a new theorem of addition of velocities. The second process supplies us with a modification of Newton's law of motion for large velocities, together with information of fundamental im- portance on the nature of inertial mass.
It was found that inertia is not a fu-lndamental property of matter, nor, indeed, an irreducihle miagnitude, hut a property of energy. If an amount of energy E be given to a hody, the incrtial mass of the hody increases hy an amount E/c2, where c is the velocity of light ii vOCIto. On the other lhand, a hody of mass mi is to he regarded as a store of energy of mag,-nitude m1eC2.
Furthermore, it was soon found impossible to link up the science of gravitation with the special theory of relativity in a natural manner. In this connection I was struck hy the fact that the force of gravitation pos- sesses a fundamenital property, which distinguishes it from electro-magnetic forces. All hodies fall in a gravita- tional field witl- the same accelera- tion, or-what is only another form- ulation of the same fact-tlhe gravi- tational and inertial masses of a hody are nunmerically equal to each other. This numiierical equality suggests identity in character. Can gravita- tion and inertia he identical? This question leads directly to the General Theory of Relativity. Is it not pos-
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sible for me to regard the earth as free from rotation, if I conceive of the centrifugal force, which acts on all bodies at rest relatively to the earth, as being a "real" field of gravi- tation, or part of such a field? If this idea can be carried out, then we shall have proved in very truth the i(Ieltity of gravitation and inertia. For the same property which is re- garded as iner tia from the point of view of a system not taking part in the rotation can be interpreted as grazitation whlen considered with re- spect to a system that shares the ro- taticn. According to Newton, this interpretation is impossihle, because by Newton's law t-he centrifugal filld can not he regarded as heing produced by mn-atter, and hecause in Newton's tlhcory there is no place for a "real" fleld of the "Koriolis-field" type. But perhaps Newton's law of field could be replaced by anotlher that fits in witlh the field whiclh holds with re- spect to a "rotatinlg" system of co- ordlinates ? My convictioni of the i(leltity of iniertial ancd gravitational mass arouscd withlin me the feeling of absolute conlfidence in the corrcct- lness of this interpretation. In this connection I gain-ed encouragemienlt fr om the followin- idea. We are familiar with the "apparent" fields wlhich are valid relatively to systems of coordinates possessing arbitrary motion with respect to an inertial system. With the aid of these special fields we shoould be able to sLudy the law whiclh is satisfied in general hy gravitational fields.
A NEWS SERVICE FOR SCIENCE
Scielice Service is the name of an aogency newly established in Wash- ington for the diffusion of knowl- e(lge. It is generously supported by Mr. E. VW. Scripps and will be a cor- poration conducted without profit, all receipts being used for the work and its extension.
The Service will pay adequately for notes and articles that are scientifi- cally correct and of popular interest atnd will dispose of them through the existing news syndicates and in other ways that will provide the largest pos- sible circulation. It plans also to take up motion pictures an(l all other methods useful for the populariza- tioIn of science.
The first board of trustees of Sci- clce Service is composed as follows: RJcprcsenlatives of the National
Academily of Sciences Dr. A. A. Noyes, director, chemi-
cal researclh, California Institute of Teclhnology.
Dr. R. A. Milikan, professor of physics, Unliversity of Chicago.
Dr. John C. Merriamn, president, Carnegie Itnstitution of Washinlgton. Representotives of the American As-
sociation for the Advancenient of Scientce
Dr. D. T. MacDougal, director, Desert Laboratory of the Carnegie Inistittutioin.
Dr. J. McKeein Cattell, editor, Sci- ence and ScIEXNTIFIC MONMTHLY.
Dr. Ceorge 1. Moore, director, Mis- sour i 'Botanical Gardenis.
Representatives of The Nationzal Re- searcth Council
Dr. Vernon Kellogg, permanent secrctary, National Research Council.
Dr. George E. I ale, director, Mount Wilson Observatory of the Carnegie Institutioln.
Dr. R. M. Yerkes, chairmanl, Re- searclh Informatioln Service, National Research Council. Representatives of the Scripps Estate
Mr. E. W. Scripps, Miramar, Cali- fornia.
Mr. R. P. Scripps, Clevelan-d, Ohio. Dr. W. E. Ritter, director, Scripps
Jnstitutioln for Biological Research of tl.e University of California.
Representatives of th-e Journalistic Profe1ssion1
Edwin XF. Gay, president, New Yorke Evening Post Company, New York City.
Chester LI. Rowell, former editor, The Fresno Republican, Berkeley, California.
William Allen White, editor, The En/ipor-ia Gazette, Emporia, Kansas.
Dr. W. E. Ritter is president of the board, Mr. R. P. Scripps, treas- urer, and Dr. Vernon Kellogg, vice- presidenit and chairman of the execu- tive comnmittee This committee is
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