large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb_133
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb
English
12904
_] But if a vast supply of energy existed in atoms, it was possible that the solution to the puzzle of the sun's energy might rest there. As early as 1899 the American geologist Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (1843 1928) was already speculating about a possible connection between radioactivity and the sun's energy. BUT IF A VAST SUPPLY OF ENERGY EXISTED IN ADAMS IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE SOLUTION TO THE PUZZLE OF THE SUN'S ENERGY MIGHT REST THERE AS EARLY AS EIGHTEEN NINETY NINE THE AMERICAN GEOLOGIST THOMAS TROUDER CHAMBERLAIN EIGHTEEN FORTY THREE NINETEEN TWENTY EIGHT WAS ALREADY SPECULATING ABOUT A POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN RADIOACTIVITY AND THE SUN'S ENERGY
d proved so useful that physicists did not like to abandon it unless they absolutely had to. Another possibility was that radioactive atoms were creating energy out of nothing. This, of course, violated the law of conservation of energy (also called “the first law of thermodynamics”) and physicists preferred not to do that either. The only thing that seemed to remain was to suppose that somewhere within the atom was a source of energy that had never made itself evident to humanity until the discovery of radioactivity. Becquerel was one of the first to suggest this. It might have seemed at first that only radioactive elements had this supply of energy somewhere within the atom, but in 1903 Rutherford suggested that all atoms had a vast energy supply hidden within themselves. The supply in uranium and thorium leaked slightly, so to speak, and that was all that made them different. [Illustration: _The room in which the Curies discovered radium. Pierre Curie’s writing is on the blackboard. EN FIFTY BY THE GERMAN PHYSICIST RUDOLPH JULIUS EMANUEL CLAUSIAS EIGHTEEN TWENTY TWO EIGHTEEN TWENTY EIGHT AND HAD PROVED SO USEFUL THAT PHYSICISTS DID NOT LIKE TO ABANDON IT UNLESS THEY ABSOLUTELY HAD TO ANOTHER POSSIBILITY WAS THAT RADIOACTIVE ATOMS WERE CREATING ENERGY OUT OF NOTHING THIS OF COURSE VIOLATED THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY ALSO CALLED THE FIRST LAW OF THERMODONICS AND PHYSICISTS PREFERRED NOT TO DO THAT EITHER THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMED TO REMAIN WAS TO SUPPOSE THAT SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE ATOM WAS A SOURCE OF ENERGY THAT HAD NEVER MADE ITSELF EVIDENT TO HUMANITY UNTIL THE DISCOVERY OF RADIOA ACTIVITY BECKCAREL WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO SUGGEST THIS IT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED AT FIRST THAT ONLY RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS HAD THIS SUPPLY OF ENERGY SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE ATOM BUT IN NINETEEN O THREE RUTHERFORD SUGGESTED THAT ALL ATOMS HAD A VAST ENERGY SUPPLY HIDDEN WITHIN THEMSELVES THE SUPPLY IN URANIUM AND THORIUM LEAKED SLIGHTLY SO TO SPEAK AND THAT WAS ALL THAT MADE THEM DIFFERENT
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