| Show Source of Prophecy Lies in Careful Carer ul Study of Nature Example Is Found Fount in Chemical Reactions VARIED indeed are are the V ways in which mans man's appetite appetite appetite ap ap- ap- ap petite for prophecy manifests manifests mani mani- tests itself The gypsy fortune fortune fortune for for- tune teller the spiritualistic the scientific laboratory laboratory labora labora- tory all are motivated in part by mans man's desire to lift that persistent veil which obscures obscures ob oh- the future But Dut the palm readers and table tippers have lost cute caste In the public eye Mme So and revelation lion tion that the crystal glove favored cigarettes would start no nomad nomad nomad mad buying rush Gradually man has come to realize re reo re- re alize that the only reliable source of prophecy lies In the disinterested study of nature herself Laboriously collecting facts he formulates laws Once having the laws he finds himself himself him him- self sell with a grip on the future As to Chemical Reactions One of the more difficult realms of scientific prophecy is il that of chemical reactions A chemist knows that If il certain chemicals can be made to react a needed substance substance sub sub- stance tance will be created But Dut will the chemicals react Usually no one knows know until someone tries it To ask uk whether a certain reaction re reaction re- re action will take place Is ii vaguely similar to asking whether a certain certain tain tam young Joung man and woman will marry If U the couple believe their happiness will be greater after marriage than before the union will take place Now the chemicals have a quality which is II analogous to un happiness In the romantic Illustration The chemist calls It free energy and knows knowl that If a reaction between two chemicals will lessen their free energy thermodynamic ness then and only then will the reaction occur So In order to make a prophecy concerning the likelihood of a chemical chem ical reaction a chemist has to calculate calculate calculate cal cal- the free energy of the components com corn before and after the tha re reo action If U It turns ou out that the free energy Is I. greater In the combined state it means that the chemicals are happier single and can never be Induced to unite Calculating Free Energy The calculation of the free energy en en- energy ergy of a substance Is sometimes no easy task Often Involved Is II the third law of thermodynamics a law whose validity Is still subject to discussion Recently however two scientists at the University of California Cal Drs C. C C. C Stephenson and W. W F. F Giauque have published results re- re suits which prove that for certain substances the third law is accurately accurate accurate- ly valid In order to know how much free energy a substance has another abstract abstract ab ab- ab quality called entropy must be known first The third law states that at the absolute zero of temperature any crystalline solid has bas zero entropy Knowing this the chemist can calculate how much entropy the substance accumulates accumulates accumulates as its temperature rises to the value he Is concerned with |
