WINTER SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2281, 28 August 1908, Page 2

WINTER SCHOOL.

DAY SESSION. ' At tlio Winter School yesterday morning Mr. Clark again dealt with, the subject of “cardboard modelling in its relation to arithmetic, drawing, and geometry,” and Mr. Grant continued his course on experimental work ill elementary agriculture. Both lectures were most instructive, and great interest was manifested in them by those present, EVENING LECTURE. The Venerable Archdeacon Williams delivered a lecturo in His Majesty’s Theatre last evening upon the philosophical problem, "The Fourth Dimension.” The audience was small, being composed mostly of school teachers. Mr. E. H. Maun occupied the chan - . The lecturer» who was received with applause, said ho had been asked what was the fourth dimension and lie was not going to answer the Question at the beginning, but would lead those present along the same lino of thought that caused him to take an interest in the subject. ' Many years ago a book,entitled “Elat Land,” had been published in Loudon, and that book gave a very good idea of what tlio fourth dimension was thought to be. In “Elat Land” people-lived who took various shapes, and the conditions of life altered tlio shape of the inhabitants. Tile people lived ill two dimensions, they had no depth, but length and breadth only. A boy in Elat Land was learning algebra, and came to x square x cube and such problems. Tlio boy understood wliat x square meant, but could not understand x cube. Ultimately a man discovered a. sphere, and an argument took place as to what was the third dimension. He then discovered that x cube had a. meaning. Such a thought led one to see that if persons could live in two dimensions they would have peculiar conditions, but their conditions would not ho peculiar to them. So it then followed that persons living under three dimensions might be ill a similar position. He was not prepared to say there was a fourth dimension, hut would show some of the things that would happen if there was such a thing. The lecturer then drew a number of mathematical figures illustrating bow the number of lines •in a square of two dimensions coukl he mathematically multiplied to the necessary lines for four or any other number of dimensions. A four dimensional body could lie drawn, and it might be possible io infer from that, that there was a fourth dimensional existence as there is a three dimensional existence. However, nothing was known of matter in four dimensions, anymore than of matter in two dimensions. It was well to realise that while they had to face the limitations of a three dimensional existence, there might he inhabitants of a four dimensional existence. Science had shown' by the Xra.ys that all bodies which were opaque to the eye were not opaque under certain rays of light. In the same way it might ho found that human beings may lie hut the inhabitants of a three dimensional universe and there maybe an unlimted number of universes of unlimited dimensions.

On the motion of Mr. F. J. Rowlev, a vote of thanks was tendered Archdeacon Williams for his interesting address. The session will he continued at the High School to-day, and the school will lie brought to a close by a conversazione in the theatre. Dancing, music and other amusements will he provided, and as a large number of •invitations have been sent out it is expected there will be a big attendance.