- pear to justify a sliding-scale of prices for
all the necessities of life, carefully adjusted to the varying incomes of the users. (Text.)
(935)
The conclusion reached in this extract leaves out of account the presence in the cosmos of a living God:
The quantity of energy existing in the
universe remains constant, but transforms
itself little by little into heat uniformly distributed
at a temperature everywhere identical.
In the end, therefore, there will be
neither chemical phenomena nor manifestation
of life; the world will still exist, but
without motion; and, so to speak, dead.—Lucien
Poincaré, "The New Physics and
its Evolution."
(936)
Equilibrium in Nature—See Complexity in Organs.
Equipment and Results—See Medical
Missions.
Error as a Benefactor—See Discovery,
Accidental.
ERROR CORRECTED
Human nature must be perfected by long processes of improvement analogous to that employed in getting a perfect chronometer.
From the practical point of view, chronometry
has made in these last few years very
sensible progress. The errors in the movements
of chronometers are corrected in a
much more systematic way than formerly,
and certain inventions have enabled important
improvements to be effected in the
construction of these instruments. Thus, the
curious properties which steel combined with
nickel—so admirably studied by M. Guillaume—exhibits
in the matter of dilatation are now
utilized so as to almost completely annihilate
the influence of variations of temperature.—Lucien
Poincaré, "The New Physics and its
Evolution."
(937)
Error Exposed—See Dogmatism, Mistaken.
ERROR IN REASONING
It frequently happens that men are perfectly correct in their premises and in observing the facts, while their conclusions may be wholly wrong.
Ptolemy clearly saw that, if the alternation
from day to night is caused by a rotation
of the earth, then points on the equator
must move with a speed of nearly one thousand
miles an hour, a velocity exceeding
more than tenfold that of the wind in the
severest storm. A terrible gale would thus
always blow from the east; birds in flight
and objects thrown into the air would be
left behind and carried with frightful rapidity
toward the west. As these things do
not happen, the earth, Ptolemy concludes,
must be at rest.—Charles Lane Poor, "The
Solar System."
(938)
Error Leading to Success—See Experiment.
Eruption of Evil—See Evil Eruptive.
Escape—See Ingenuity; Rescue.
ESSENTIALS
Immediately after one of the fiercest battles
of the Civil War a chaplain of one of
the Federal regiments passed over the field
of conflict in the performance of his duty.
He noticed among the prostrate bodies one
which moved, and quickly was at the side of
a dying soldier. Recognizing that the man
had not long to live, he at once proceeded
to administer, but in rather a formal manner,
the consolations of religion. Kneeling
at the man's side, he asked him to what
church he belonged, and the surprizing
answer came, "The Church which God hath
purchased with His own blood." "Oh, but
that is not what I mean," said the minister,
"what is your belief?" The mortally
wounded disciple replied, "I know whom I
have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep that which I have committed
unto Him against that day." "Oh," said the
chaplain, "but you do not understand me—what
is your persuasion?" The answer came
from lips which were quivering in the agonies
of death, "I am persuaded that neither
death nor life shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord," and with these words the
soldier passed into the presence of Him who
is the Savior of all them that believe in Him.
(939)
Estimating One's Self—See Self-depreciation.
