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Show The Mysterious IT-Rays. Tho alleged discovery of N-rays constitutes consti-tutes ono of tho most rcmarkablo anomalies anoma-lies of science. On tho 23rd of March, 1M3, M. Blondlot. professor of phyelcs nt the University of Nancy, published a pnpor ln tho Comptes rendus "On a New Kind of IJght " This first communication was rapidly followed by others, ln which ho developed hl.n discovery dis-covery and proved his "new light" to possess pos-sess certain properties altogether rcmarkablo rcmark-ablo and Inexplicable. In addition, his work was eupplcmcntod by that of other Frenchmen, who corroborated Blondlot and extended his discovery' along new lines. These French gentlemon aro all of them men of unquestionable training nnd professional Integrity. Among othors, thcro 13 young Becquerel, who has his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather to emulate Now the anomaly referred to is this, that from tho dato of this first paper until un-til the present tlmo no human being ln Germany, England, or America has suc-cocded suc-cocded ln verifying Blondlot's work or ln detecting the oxlstonco of tho radiations nt all. Tho situation Is unique in tho annnlQ of science, because when scientific peoplo quarrel It Is always over theories or over tho degree of accuracy of somo ono specific fact; but here wo have a thousand "facts," all neatly dovetailing Into ono another that Is. all relating to ono another and explaining ono another, and yot tho really strenuous efforts of competent men outaldo of Franco to verify ver-ify one solitary one of tho alleged "facts" havo resulted ln nothing but depressing, fruitless failure. Tho experiments upon which Blondlot and his confreres rely for the validity of tho N-rays aro simple ln tho extreme. They may bo repeated by any reader, so that he may accept them or condemn them for himself. Ho will find, on repealing the experiments described de-scribed that the phenomena to bo observed ob-served are on the borderland of visibility, visibil-ity, and ho may mako up his mind for hhnoclf as to whether they are due to Imagination or to objective reality. .It Is hoped that from these experiments on tho part of a largo number of readers there may arise a certain consensus of opinion not lightly to bo dlsrogardcd. It will bo seen that tho N-rays, if they exist, ex-ist, may bo vastly important, nnd Blondlot Blond-lot may bo qulto Justlllcd when he says: "Possibly tho N-rays may not bo without action on certain phenomena of animal or vegetable llfo in a way hitherto llttlo suspected"; for there aro many obscure phenomena of llfo for which no explanation explana-tion has ever boon vouchsafed. Prof. Robert Kennedy Duncan, in Harper's 1 Magazine |