1953 04 00 Physics Today - Vol 6 No 4 - Beiser

Magazine Overview

Title: Physics Today
Issue: Vol. 6, No. 4
Date: April 1953
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Physics Today features a significant review of Donald H. Menzel's book, "Flying Saucers," published by Harvard University Press. The review, written by Arthur Beiser, critically examines Menzel's work, which aims to provide scientific explanations for the phenomena reported as flying saucers.

Book Review: Flying Saucers by Donald H. Menzel

Arthur Beiser's review highlights that Dr. Menzel's book, "Flying Saucers," is written for "anyone with a spark of intellectual curiosity." The book systematically debunks popular speculations and circular reasoning surrounding flying saucer sightings. Menzel explains these phenomena as natural events such as mirages, mock suns, auroras, comets, and meteors, supported by numerous photographs and drawings. The review notes the book's detailed section on atmospheric refraction and experimental demonstrations. It also touches upon Menzel's discussion of radar ghost images, suggesting that radar's infallibility is often overestimated by the public.

Despite the extensive debunking, Menzel also includes speculative chapters on space travel and visits to Mars and Venus, which are described as interesting due to the author's authority, though not sensational. Beiser concludes that the book is "fascinating and enlightening, a welcome addition to the unhappily small shelf of nontechnical but intelligent expositions of scientific ideas."

Lewis Carroll's lines from "The Hunting of the Snark" are quoted to introduce the elusive nature of the "saucer" phenomenon.

Book Review: Problems of Life. An Evaluation of Modern Biological Thought by Ludwig von Bertalanffy

This section reviews Ludwig von Bertalanffy's book, "Problems of Life," which summarizes the development of his organismic conception. The review, penned by Oscar W. Richards of the American Optical Company Research Laboratory, explains that Bertalanffy seeks to establish laws governing order and organization within living systems. The book critiques earlier biological concepts, including analytical, summative, machine-theoretical, and reaction-theoretical approaches, finding them inadequate.

Bertalanffy's organismic conception is characterized by viewing systems as wholes, emphasizing dynamic processes, and seeing the organism as having primary activity. The review notes that the book examines this concept as a research method and discusses levels of organization, the unity of life, and the unity of science. It mentions that the book postpones criticism until a second volume, which will present more evidence.

Richards points out that living systems are open systems in dynamic equilibrium, maintaining and reproducing themselves, which distinguishes them from closed thermodynamic systems. He notes that biological organization may be investigated within the limits of the indeterminacy principle, with results likely being statistical. Bertalanffy proposes a "general systems theory" to unify science, suggesting principles can be defined mathematically, possibly as a theory of probability.

The review concludes that Bertalanffy's work is thought-provoking and relevant for scientists interested in broader scientific aspects. It also notes that the book represents one person's extensive labor rather than a consensus of biologists.

Other Content

Uranium Oxides

This section briefly mentions an annotated bibliography on the solid-state reactions of uranium oxides, prepared by the National Bureau of Standards for the Atomic Energy Commission. The bibliography contains 257 abstracted and 60 nonabstracted references.

X-Ray Spectroscopy

An 82-page report on a conference on the Application of X-Ray Spectroscopy to Solid State Problems, held at the University of Wisconsin in October 1950, is noted. The report includes sixteen papers and is available from the Office of Technical Services.

Books Received

A substantial list of recently published books is provided, covering a wide range of scientific disciplines. These include:

• International Tables for X-Ray Crystallography. Vol. I. Symmetry Groups
• Statistical Methods for Chemical Experimentation
• Introduction to the Foundations of Mathematics
• Vision Through the Atmosphere
• Statistical Thermodynamics (Second Edition)
• The Molecular Theory of Fluids
• Photoconductivity in the Elements
• High Fidelity Simplified
• Control of Electric Motors (Third Edition)
• Electrical Measuring Instruments. Part I
• Filter Design Data for Communication Engineers
• Nuclear Stability Rules
• An International Bibliography on Atomic Energy. Vol. II. Scientific Aspects
• Essentials of Fluid Dynamics
• Die Ionosphäre, ihre Bedeutung für Geophysik und Radioverkehr (The Ionosphere, its Importance for Geophysics and Radio Traffic)
• Remote Control by Radio
• Advances in Geophysics. Vol. I.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the scientific investigation and explanation of phenomena, whether they be the enigmatic "flying saucers" or the fundamental principles of life and biological systems. The editorial stance appears to favor rigorous scientific inquiry, critical analysis, and the debunking of unsubstantiated claims, as exemplified by the review of Menzel's "Flying Saucers." There is also an emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of science, with reviews covering physics, biology, mathematics, and chemistry, and a clear commitment to disseminating knowledge through book reviews and announcements of scientific reports and conferences.