DISTURBING SUN
By PHILIP LATHAM
Illustrated by Freas
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding ScienceFiction May 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence thatthe U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
This, be it understood, is fiction—nothing but fiction—and not,under any circumstances, to be considered as having any truthwhatever to it. It's obviously utterly impossible ... isn't it?
An interview with Dr. I. M. Niemand, Director of the PsychophysicalInstitute of Solar and Terrestrial Relations, Camarillo, California.
In the closing days of December, 1957, at the meeting of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Science in New York, Dr. Niemanddelivered a paper entitled simply, "On the Nature of the SolarS-Regions." Owing to its unassuming title the startling implicationscontained in the paper were completely overlooked by the press. Theseimplications are discussed here in an exclusive interview with Dr.Niemand by Philip Latham.
LATHAM. Dr. Niemand, what would you say is your main job?
NIEMAND. I suppose you might say my main job today is to find out all Ican between activity on the Sun and various forms of activity on theEarth.
LATHAM. What do you mean by activity on the Sun?
NIEMAND. Well, a sunspot is a form of solar activity.
LATHAM. Just what is a sunspot?
NIEMAND. I'm afraid I can't say just what a sunspot is. I can onlydescribe it. A sunspot is a region on the Sun that is cooler than itssurroundings. That's why it looks dark. It isn't so hot. Therefore notso bright.
LATHAM. Isn't it true that the number of spots on the Sun rises andfalls in a cycle of eleven years?
NIEMAND. The number of spots on the Sun rises and falls in a cycle ofabout eleven years. That word about makes quite a difference.
LATHAM. In what way?
NIEMAND. It means you can only approximately predict the future courseof sunspot activity. Sunspots are mighty treacherous things.
LATHAM. Haven't there been a great many correlations announced betweensunspots and various effects on the Earth?
NIEMAND. Scores of them.
LATHAM. What is your opinion of these correlations?
NIEMAND. Pure bosh in most cases.
LATHAM. But some are valid?
NIEMAND. A few. There is unquestionably a correlation betweensunspots and disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field ... radiofade-outs ... auroras ... things like that.
LATHAM. Now, Dr. Niemand, I understand that you have been investigatingsolar and terrestrial relationships along rather unorthodox lines.
NIEMAND. Yes, I suppose some people would say so.
LATHAM. You have broken new ground?
NIEMAND. That's true.
LATHAM. In what way have your investigations differed from those ofothers?
NIEMAND. I think our biggest advance was the discovery that sunspotsthemselves are not the direct cause of the disturbances we have beenstudying on the Earth. It's something like the eruptions in rubeola.Attention is concentrated on the bright red papules because they're sucha conspicuous symptom of the disease. Whereas the real cause is aninvisible filterable virus. In the solar case it turned out to be theseS-Regions.
LATHAM. Why S-Regions?
NIEMAND. We had to call them something. Named after the Sun, I suppose.
LATHAM. You say an S-Region is invisible?
NIEMAND. It is