Astounding British Edition, May 1953 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“T’ve talked to several of the others. They are upset, some of them. I tried to lift them out of it. But what is it you’ve got? Any- thing that looks like an answer?” Mart slid the sheets across the desk, “The postulate of equivalence is out. I’m pretty sure of that. I’ve been computing the possible field of motion circulating through curved space. It turns out to be an eight-dimen- sional thing, but it makes sense. I'd like you to look it over.” Jennings’ eyebrows raised. “Very good. Of course, it’s not easy for me to accept the renunciation of the postulate of equivalence, you understand. That has been around for forty-five years now.” “We may find something to fit in its place.” “You have no other copy of this?” Mart shrugged. “I can do it again.” “Tli take good care of them.” Jennings put the papers in an inside pocket. “But suppose you do demonstrate the possibility of such a flow? Where do we go from there? Have you an idea?” “Some,” said Mart. “I watched a whirl- pool yesterday. Ever watch what happens RD ORNS Oe EO FE nS Se NOISE cea to sticks when they are thrown into one. They go toward each other. That’s gravity.” Jennings frowned. “Now wait a minute. Mart—” Mart laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. Consider this flow. I don’t know what pro- perties it might have. It would have to take place through four of the dimensions in- volved. But when we get through, we'll develop the expression for the curl of such a flow through material substance. “Suppose such a curl exists, Whirlpools appear. It’s a crude analogy. Your mind can’t get hold of it. We need the math. But perhaps we can show that the curl is in such a direction as to cause a reduction of spatial displacement between masses causing the cur]. Could that make sense?” Jennings had been sitting very still. Now he smiled and spread his hands on the desk top.. “It could. The curl of an eight- dimensional flow would be fairly complex. But if it develops all right, what then?” “Then we build a device to streamline matter through this flow, so that curl will not develop.” Jennings sat in his chair as if suddenly SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS FOR SALE | | _ (Add 6d. per book postage) | Adventures in Time and Space (anth.) i Adventures in Tomorrow (anth.) | 10/6 Against the Fall of Night (Clarke) 18/6 Blind Spot, The (Hall & Flint) 10/6 Children of the Atom (Shiras) 18/6 Currents of Space, The (Asimov) 18/6 David Starr: Space Ranger (French) 9/6 Destination Universe (Van Vogt) 9/6 Foundation and Empire (Asimov) 18/6 Galaxy Reader of Stf. (anth.) 9/6 Golden Amazons Triumph (Fearn) 9/6 House that Stood Still, The (Van Vogt) Iceworld (Clement) 9/6 18/6 Send for free lists and details of Postal Loan Library, Magazine service, It Happened Like This (Reynolds) 9/6 Judgment Night (Moore) 23/6 King Conan (Howard) 19/6 Legion of Time, The (Williamson) 19/6 New Tales of Space and Time (anth.) 10/6 Player Piano (Vonnegut) 12/6 Prelude to Space (Clarke) 10/6 Puppet Masters, The (Heinlein) 9/6 Second Foundation (Asimoy) 18/6 Sentinels from Space (Russell) 18/6 The Starmen (Brackett) 18/6 To the Devil—a Daughter (Wheatley) 12/6 Year’s Best Stf. Novels (anth.) 10/6 etc., from FANTASY BOOK CENTRE — 52 STOKE NEWINGTON ROAD, LONDON, N.16. Telephone : CLIssold 5541 | = i Aine 2 et CO to ae a cL Se ee oe Gomichooks TO = ERS se em 9 Ne RR Ke oy Ae Ae 1A A! Sig OA bas) Wi bron Cop eae ae es eS Dp eT NRA POAC ET)” NED ae Pew Oe rere Pee ATS RORY eh. “4 Cee aR